Netpol

A must-see film from Fat Rat Films:

While filming a routine stop and search of her boyfriend on the London Underground, Gemma suddenly found herself detained, handcuffed and threatened with arrest.

Act of Terror tells the story of her fight to bring the police to justice and prevent this happening to anyone else, ever again.

Act of Terror from Fat Rat Films on Vimeo.

The following is a press release issues by the Netpol Lawyers’ Group.

The Metropolitan Police has complained that activists are not contacting them to discuss plans to protest at Margaret Thatcher’s funeral. The police should be reminded that for stationary demonstrations there is no legal requirement that the police be notified beforehand. Furthermore, given the significant number of ‘pre-emptive arrests’ which have taken place during the Royal Wedding and at other events and the suggestion by the police of similar tactics being used again, it may not be surprising that protestors are wary of providing the police with information which could lead to their arrest and detention for exercising their right to free speech. Continue reading →

Thatchers death prompted street parties in Brixton and Bristol on Monday night

Netpol has increasing concerns regarding the approach being taken by the Metropolitan police in relation to the policing of protests at Margaret Thatcher’s funeral on Wednesday and the planned party in Trafalgar Square on Saturday. Fears are growing that people organising or planning protest will be placed under surveillance, and that the police will be willing to resort to ‘pre-emptive arrest’. Continue reading →

The use of civil injunctions and lawsuits is fast emerging as one of the biggest threats to protest freedom in the UK. Sussex University has obtained an injunction preventing any person from entering or remaining on the campus or buildings for the purpose of protest. At the time of writing students are still waiting to learn whether the injunction will allow the university to take possession of Bramber House, currently the site of a student occupation. Continue reading →

Last week five of the nine people prosecuted for breaching public order act conditions while on a Critical Mass bike ride in July were convicted.  In this article some of the defendants give their views on the arrests, prosecutions and the police attitude towards the Critical Mass.

On 27th July 2012, the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics displayed a
host of elements pruned from British history – customary ‘folk’
celebrations, the struggle of the Suffragettes; the invention of the
internet – wrapped in the glow of the physical liberation felt in sport
itself. But while these totems of dissent and liberation were being
worshiped inside the stadium, the Metropolitan Police arrested 182
cyclists outside on the roads of Stratford, on suspicion of disobeying
police orders: the largest mass arrest in the UK for many years. Continue reading →

For those of us who have spent many years fighting excessive and intrusive surveillance of political protest by the state, the victory of John Catt in the Court of Appeal this week was especially sweet. The judgement rules that the gathering and retention of information about John Catt’s political activity was an unlawful breach of his right to a private life, and leaves police intelligence gathering practices in tatters.

John Catt was an 85 year old peace campaigner with no criminal history, known for making sketches at protests. He attended demonstrations against the EDO factory in Brighton called by the organisation Smash EDO where he was noted and identified by the Domestic Extremism Unit – at that time called the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU). When he made a subject access request under the Data Protection Act, the NPOIU was found to hold details of his appearance, his vehicle, demonstrations he had attended (not all of which were connected to Smash EDO), and other personal details. His daughter, Linda Catt, also found that her details and presence at the same demonstrations were similarly recorded by the NPOIU.

This sort of data gathering is not unusual. Continue reading →

Chief Insp Sonia Davis

This article explores the continuing controversy over the use of Police Liaison Officers, or Protest Liaison Officers as they are alternatively known, in relation to their role in the arrest of 182 cyclists participating in the Critical Mass bike ride of July 2012.

We all know Police Liaison Officers (PLOs): their baby blue bibs, their smiling faces, their fondness for photo opportunities and good PR. We know their Twitter accounts, and their public guise as the new friendly face of public order policing. But how much do we know about what they actually do? Although they deny their role as intelligence gatherers in the strongest possible terms, we’ve yet to see any policy or guidelines on their function. So when Chief Inspector Sonia Davis, the head of the Metropolitan Police PLO unit, was called as a prosecution witness in the Critical Mass trial, we knew that hearing her speaking on oath would be the best chance yet of actually getting some answers. Continue reading →