EDL in Bradford
Posted by admin
EDL kettled by riot police in Bradford
The EDL were yesterday forced to have their Bradford demonstration behind 10 foot solid walls, almost completely away from public view. Bussed in, and shepherded through airport style x-ray gates, their presence was only felt when they showered counterdemonstrators with stones, bottles and smoke bombs.
The police will no doubt congratulate themselves on facilitating protest without riots breaking out all over Bradford. But much of the anticipation of serious disorder was probably down to the police themselves, who had spent weeks convincing local communities that allowing opposition to the EDL on the streets would lead to a re-run of the 2001 Bradford riots. The only counter demonstrations they ‘facilitated’ were those by the UAF and the police-sponsored ‘Be Peaceful’, both a substantial distance from the EDL.
This scare mongering must surely have had a significant impact. But around 800 people turned out regardless, amassing in the city centre, just metres from the EDL, in an unplanned, spontaneous demonstration. Police repeatedly attempted to move this crowd back, using lines of police and horses, and clamping down hard on anyone tempted to ‘return’ a few of their missiles to the EDL.
It is doubtful too whether the EDL felt their protest was facilitated. Held so completely out of public view, it looked more like they had been herded into a temporary prison.
The police will probably claim that the huge site bordered by ten feet solid walls was justified and successful in containing the EDL. Except that it didn’t actually contain them. One of the most notable things about the EDL is their ability to fight their way out of all sorts of police containment. This time at least a hundred broke through lines of baton wielding cops and escaped over the walls, pursued by both police and counter demonstrators. On at least one occasion counter demonstrators got there first and a few EDL were seen sporting bloody noses and lips.
After that point the police finally managed to get control. They deployed riot police to keep anti-EDL groups on the run, pushing them further and further out of the city centre until they dispersed. They also deployed large numbers of riot police to kettle the EDL, containing them tightly with shields and batons. Slowly the kettled EDL were put back on their buses, the last ones leaving around six o’clock, a full two hours after their demo had been scheduled to stop.
There were five arrests reported, there seemed few injuries and property damage was minor. But some of the measures used by police – particularly those aimed at deterring counterdemonstrations - have to raise questions about just what is acceptable and/or justified in the name of preventing public disorder.
FIT at Edinburgh
Posted by admin
Cheers to those who have sent pics in from climate camp. Lovely contrast here between Edinburgh FIT with thier little compact camera, and Ian Caswell of the NPOIU with his long lens SLR... and quite a few minders.
Ian Caswell collecting intelligence on climate camp activists
West Lothian and Borders FIT A11064 and A4968 snapping at climate camp Edinburgh
Fitwatching at Climate Camp Edinburgh
Posted by admin
The poor old FIT coppers from the shadowy National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU) seem to be having a hard time in Edinburgh this week.
A video put out on you tube yesterday showed a great bit of Fitwatching by Climate Camp activists. With determination and some nerve they surrounded NPOIU cop Mark Sully and his expensive long zoom lens camera with scarves and banners. They then held their ground as Sully clearly became frustrated, pointlessly snapping his camera over the banners.
This sort of action is far from being a mere bit of bravado. Sully (CO996) and his sidekick Ian Caswell (1818), are not neutral keepers of the peace, as the police often pretend they are. Their role is to gather intelligence on, and disrupt the actions of climate camp activists. Activists identified photographed by Sully’s long lens camera will find themselves labelled domestic extremists with their own file on NPOIU’s database. Climate campers should buy these guys a drink!
According to reports, Scottish FIT were keen to come across as different to the Met. They were friendly, extremely friendly, happy to hang out on the gate, chatting with the gate shift, passing the time of day. There is nothing wrong with friendly, of course, but activists should know that with a FIT cop all is rarely what it seems. Climate campers would be wise to keep them at a very long arms length, no matter how friendly they are.
Overall policing has been described as fairly low key, perhaps reflecting the desire of RBS to keep the whole thing out of the press. There have been scuffles though, between police and activists outside the RBS building. Two people are reported to have been injured enough to need hospital treatment, both injuries apparently the result of being kicked by police officers. Two others were arrested for breach of the police offences, apparently entirely randomly.
Were you there? Reports on the policing of the site / arrests / assaults on activists are very welcome. Mail us on info@fitwatch.org.uk
Fitwatch, Policing and Climate Camp Cymru
Posted by admin
1818 - Ian Caswell
A Fitwatchers experience at Climate Camp Cymru (CCC):
The policing strategy for CCC 2010 was bizarre, disproportionate and manipulative. The event started when we swooped the site for CCC. We had already had to turn down two previous options for the site, one because of bad luck and an angry farmer and the second (which was the site of the previous camp) was crawling in cops from early morning.
The first sign of the police was a helicopter which flew around the site and the surrounding area and disappeared. When the police arrived on site the Community Liaison Officers from the year before identified themselves (Sergeant Conker-Female and Inspector Smith-Male), both promised a quiet relaxed policing style with minimal uniform presence and an eye to keeping the peace. This was shattered several hours later by two plain clothes police climbing out of a blue BMW.
They identified themselves simply as Police Negotiators and were very aggressive. They told us that the owner of the land had been duped and that we had effectively squatted the land and committed trespass. He also said that we could be committing aggravated trespass since the farmer had intentions for the field which we were preventing him from carrying out. He also said that the site was of interest to CADW which are the Welsh historical preservation society and that we could be damaging the field. During these negotiations the police began to bring in several vans of EGT officers (numbers to follow) and several Intelligence Officers. The day ended with us being told that the farmer would negotiate with us in the morning with the negotiating team present. We agreed and got some sleep.
The next morning the negotiations began, and whilst they started the police cynically brought in an Wildlife Crime Officer to chat to us on the gate. The negotiations ended with us having no official or implied permission from the farmer. We were also told that we had committed damage to an ancient site by placing tent pegs in the ground. From then on the police attitude become more confrontational, they stopped anyone from entering the camp. If we left we would not be allowed back in (denying us water) stopping new members of CCC from joining us. The police brought in floodlights, dozens of vans, a bizarre mobile intelligence van with the words EXCELERATE on the sides, mounted police and more EGT teams in an un-marked van (reg CON6DBZ).
We were essentially surrounded and eventually the police told us that if we did not leave the site we would be arrested for aggravated trespass. We made a decision to leave the site and save ourselves for further actions. We began to pack up as over one hundred cops came on site and ensured that we left. Intelligence Officers used EGT teams to identify those of significance, particularly those in masks, medics and perceived organisers. We left the site and made our way to another, followed the whole while by vans of police. They continued to monitor us for several days, but did not manage to prevent several affinity groups from leaving the site, making their way back to Neath, making their way through forests and mine security to enter and leave an open cast mine without any interference from the police.
Also worthy of note is the presence of the female negotiator from the Cardiff EDL demo. She was on the lawn in plain clothes and unidentifiable as police advising people to leave. Also present was 1818 Ian Caswell from NPIOU.
There is a lot of information that has been gathered by many from CCC including Fitwatchers, Legal Observers and Photographers. The intention of CCC is to gather all such evidence and present it in a more formal style to the Fit-watch blog and thus to other Fitwatchers
Thus far this is a preliminary report and will be continued as soon as we centralise information.
Extracts from the recent fitwatch appeal
Posted by unfit
These are some extracts of notes made by one of the defendants in the recent successful appeal of three people convicted of obstructing an evidence gathering team outside a meeting. They are almost verbatim, but there will be some small mistakes and edits for clarity.
If you want you can skip to the judgement at the end.
Police everywhere, justice nowhere!
Posted by admin
I’ve been trying to write about Ian Tomlinson and finding it difficult. Partly because I’ve already written many of the things I want to say, partly because there is already some excellent commentary on what happened, but also because I have no interest in adding to the torrent of liberal outrage.
My problem is one of anger, not just at the decision by the CPS not to charge Simon Harwood, the cop who killed Ian Tomlinson, but anger that our response never goes beyond liberal outrage. Social networking sites and the media are full of angry people, but their anger never materialises on the streets.
Police fail to prove legality of surveillance
Posted by Fitwatch
Fit being blocked outside the No Borders Meeting
A court ruling today has once again challenged the legality of the use of police surveillance against political campaigners and protesters. Three Fitwatch supporters, who had stopped police filming a political meeting, were acquitted of charges of police obstruction after the police failed to justify why the surveillance was necessary.
The Inner London Crown Court ruled the police surveillance of an open, public political meeting in June 2008, may not have been lawful. The Judge said the police had failed to provide any evidence that they were pursuing a ‘legitimate aim’.
The meeting, called by the freedom of movement group, No Borders, took place at the Pullen community centre, South London. It had been publicly advertised and was open to anyone to attend. There was no suggestion that anything ‘underhand’ was taking place.
Officers from Metropolitan police FIT (Forward Intelligence Teams), wearing full uniform, stood across the road and took film and still photographs of those attending, until three supporters of Fitwatch unfurled a banner in front of them, obstructing the filming.
One of those attending the meeting described the experience of being under police surveillance as ‘not nice’. He said that being filmed and photographed as he walked down the street had almost changed his mind as to whether they should be holding a meeting.
During the trial, the prosecution asserted anyone regularly attending or organising protests should expect to be of the interest of the state.
Jeff Parks said “I'm delighted with the result, and not surprised that no police surveillance officer was willing to give evidence and have to explain the real purpose of their operations under oath.”
Fitwatch supporter Val Swain said, “I hope this now spells the end for police surveillance of political meetings. It is not something that should ever happen in any society that claims to have political freedoms and human rights.”
Updated 27 July 2010: Marc Vallée has posted this picture on his web site:
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 23.07.10. Anti police surveillance campaigners and two of their three solicitors pose for a picture outside Inner London Crown Court on Friday 23 July 2010. (Left to right) solicitor Raj Chada, Alex Clay, Jeff Parks, Barney Laurance, solicitor Joseph Wright. The three defendants were today cleared of criminal offences when they took action to prevent the Metropolitan Police taking photos of those attending a political meeting at a community centre in South London in 2008. Picture by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk (c) Marc Vallée, 2010.
EDL trash houses and Asian businesses as they go on the rampage in Dudley
Posted by Really Fit
Taxi smashed by EDL
At least a couple of dozen houses, cars and local small businesses in Dudley town centre were yesterday attacked by demonstrators from the anti-Islamic English Defence League (EDL). Around two hundred EDL broke their way out of police cordons to carry out a frenzied attack on whatever was at hand. Asian businesses were no doubt a focus - a Balti restaurant was clearly singled out, as was a taxi. But the white working class population of Dudley also came under attack, including a white woman with a baby, who narrowly missed a brick that had smashed through her window.
Asian business has windows smashed
Residents called urgently for police assistance and help in protecting their homes from further attack, but none came. Police just a few streets away, sauntering back from some sort of confrontation with the EDL, showed no interest in helping frightened residents. NPOIU cop Paul Mather, who was with them, was more concerned with crowing that Fitwatch had ‘missed the action’.
Injured EDL receiving treatment
More 'action' was to come. Six EDL were knocked down by a car, sustaining leg and head injuries. The driver had not stopped (he was probably terrified) and rumours abounded that it had been a deliberate attack by Muslims and that one of the EDL had died. As the six lay on the road being treated by paramedics other EDL pulled metal poles from a passing truck and vowed to ‘go get the Muslims’. They then fought running battles with police in an attempt to get there.
EDL confront police in Stafford Street car park
Clearly the police had not expected the EDL to be able to break out of the system of containment they had devised for them at Stafford Street car park. There was a mixture of six foot fencing, rows of riot police and dogs, and finally solid metal cordons that barred every exit road. But the crowd, which totalled around a thousand, tore down fencing and threw a hail of missiles at the riot police. The metal cordons defeated the EDL for a while though, until they found an unguarded way out through a block of flats, and a few hundred got clear to begin the rampage.
Meanwhile Muslim areas were in a form of lockdown. Riot police were tasked with keeping Muslim youth in Muslim areas and came down heavily on groups that ventured out. One lot of Asian youths were chased by riot police and hit with batons almost as soon as they set foot in town. Back in their own estates around a dozen of them were chased through the streets by no less than three van loads of Met police in riot gear.
A day later, tension is reported to still be high in Kates Hill, Dudley, with heavy policing and continuing rumours of EDL presence. The real danger is that, unless more non-Muslims get out to seriously oppose the EDL, this could develop into a real race conflict.
The Ummah of Muhammad
Posted by Really Fit
Police taking mugshots
This was a small but noisy demonstration by a Cardiff based radical Islamic group, protesting against Western crusades against Islam and anti-Islamic legislation, and advocating Sharia law. They attracted a fair bit of attention, with opposition from both right and left.
Numbers from all sides were low, and the biggest group present was undoubtedly the police. Evidence gathering teams videoed the protest and at least three coppers with digital stills cameras attempted to get good photographs of the 'Muslim extremists' - although with the women in niqab and most of the men covering their faces, they perhaps struggled to get good pics for the database.
Mark Sully, NPOIU
Domestic extremism cops Mark Sully and Paul Mathers from the National Public Order Intelligence Unit hovered, and no doubt special branch was not far away.
Which raises questions on the legitimacy of police surveillance of radical Muslims. Many people may think that the views of this group, alongside the existence of Islamic terrorism, would justify intensive police attention. On the other hand, while holding up banners advocating Sharia law may not make them popular in the mainstream, it isn't unlawful and it isn't terrorism. Was is really acceptable that their protest was penned in by solid crowd control barriers, kept well away from public eyes, and was treated by the police as a handy photo line-up?
Neither is it at all clear where the line is drawn. What is extremist and what isn't? Who decides? Or is it the case that any expression of Muslim anger - protests against the bombing of Gaza, for instance - is also seen as Islamic extremism, and fair game for special branch?
New West Yorkshire Evidence Gatherers
Posted by admin
We haven't had any new cop names and photos on the blog for a while, so thought it was time to redress the balance and welcome the following West Yorkshire Evidence Gatherers to Fitwatch.
The cameraman is imaging officer Bahvesh Jagu Mistry and the female officer is PC5413 Dawson.
This is PS299 Roger Moore.
Apologies for the poor quality of the photos - if anyone has any better images, please contact us.