Shield Mutual: The Unsung Rebel of Adam Kokesh’s Defense

Last Tuesday, Rebel Adam Kokesh was arrested by a posse of more than 20 law enforcement personnel during a paramilitary style raid of his home. The invaders utilized a battering ram, a flashbang grenade, an armored vehicle and two helicopters to kidnap an activist who likely would have gone along peacefully for publicity’s sake if they’d have just asked nicely. Instead, the put Adam’s entire production team in handcuffs and trained riffles on them while they ransacked his home for 5 hours, kicking Adam while he sat handcuffed on the floor for asking to use the bathroom.

Much has been written for and against Adam’s unique brand of activism, but there’s a lesser known activist behind the scenes who leapt into action as soon as the gears began to turn. His name is George Donnelly, and he operates the Agora’s first defense agency, Shield Mutual.

I signed up with Shield Mutual almost a year ago. It’s essentially an Agorist insurance company. To be clear, “defense” doesn’t mean they employ squads of armed mercenaries to confront the State. Shield Mutual is a defense agency in the same sense that the camera is the new gun, activating a network of activists and media when one of its members is attacked by the State. I didn’t join because I thought I needed the service, but because I understand how insurance works. For Shield Mutual to have the resources to cover high risk activists like Kokesh in their time of need, it needs a base of low risk activists like me paying for coverage.

Shortly after Adam’s arrest I received an email that began:

“When a fellow Shield Mutual member is attacked, we must all hang together in support of this person’s freedom and sovereignty. Together we are stronger.”

The email, a kind of early warning system, contained instructions for a number of urgent action items related to Adam’s arrest, including up to date information on the incident as it developed, a call flood of the Fairfax County General District Court on the day of Adam’s arraignment, and donation information for those eager to support Adam.

If necessary Shield Mutual will also contact media outlets, hire a lawyer, posting bail, contact family, friends, and colleagues to inform them of the situation. You name it. I was also thrilled to learn that they would cover me if I landed myself in an international incident. I traveled to Saudi Arabia last October, and although I wasn’t intending any kind of disruption, one never knows when face to face with open tyrants. The trip went off without incident, but knowing I had a media bullhorn at the ready if needed made me just a little more willing to speak my mind when confronted by sociocrats.

What makes this so revolutionary is that it’s proactive. Usually when peaceful people get thrown into cages the friends and family that sympathize with the victim’s plight only begin to organize their response after the arrest. The State is already throwing charges and scheduling hearings while the activists are still tying their shoes. And, usually the victim receives little more than hollow words of support and their ground to bits by the gears of the system. Shield Mutual is not reactionary. It’s at the ready when the State strikes.

I purchased a year’s membership for $50, and I paid in Bitcoin. I’ll probably never call on their services, but my $50 served as a market signal that there is demand for this service. It’s a small price for the peace of mind knowing somebody’s got my back. I will not disappear quietly, and neither will Adam. Even if you’re more of an advocate than an activist, if you support the liberty activism you read about here I suggest you sign up with Sheild Mutual today.

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