Three of us who had just left the "Campaign Against Criminalising Communities" demo on Saturday noticed that we were being followed by a riot van as we came onto Trafalgar Square. One of us joked that the cops were keeping us under surveillance because we obviously looked like dangerous subversives. However, this turned out not to be a joke.

The van stopped at the side of the road and about six TSG (riot cops) got out. London's favourite copper from the Forward Intelligence Team (F.I.T) - otherwise known as officer LX365 - then stopped and detained me. He then asked me several questions about a demonstration that I had been on several months ago. My friends were searched and all our details were taken, including our addresses and home phone numbers. LX365 was in TSG gear this time and wearing a different number - U5635 (I didn't know that cops were allowed to swap numbers when they felt like it!)

This is a very good example of what it's like to be involved in the protest movement these days. I went to the anti-jubilee party and got arrested "to prevent a breach of the peace" and spent four hours in a cell. I go to a campaign against police harassment and get, er, harassed by the police. I don't have a criminal record and have never been in trouble with the law, but that doesn't seem to stop them from following me about all the time and generally giving me a hard time.

Question: Why do police vans have stripes down the side?

Answer: So the policemen can find the door-handles.