Local Matters
BURLINGTON - Members of Vermont's 9/11 truth movement have been hoping for national media attention, but this probably isn't the kind of "exposure" they expected. Local readers of Hustler magazine - yes, apparently some people look at the blocks of text sandwiched between the spread-eagled women who show off their birth canals - noticed an article in the March issue by Mark Johnson. Entitled "Was 9/11 an Inside Job?" the story includes a photo of a banner that's often seen around the Queen City.
The black-and-white banner reads, "9-11 was a U.S. Black Op." It's reportedly the work of Burlington activist Steve Ekberg, a.k.a. "The Sign Man," whose pro-Nader and Vermont Green Party messages have become regular fixtures on Church Street. (Ekberg couldn't be reached for comment.) According to Hustler, the banner was on display at Ground Zero in New York City during a protest held on the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Seven Days is told that Eckberg is not affiliated with the group Vermonters for a Real 9/11 Investigation (Vt911.org), which has put an item on the Burlington Town Meeting Day ballot calling for a new investigation of the 9/11 attacks.
What's next - a report on Burlington's tight rental market in Penthouse?