An action was carried out at the Israeli tourism board on the 13th May. Several people stood in the lobby of the office block and upstairs the word “TERRORISTS” was allegedly sprayed on a wall. Soon everybody left peacefully. There were no arrests.

Several weeks ago one of the FIT (Forward Intelligence Team – police officers who monitor activists by filming, photographing and following them) told an activist that CID were looking for all the people involved. This warning was posted to indymedia [ http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=33318]

Then two weeks ago the activist Emily Apple was arrested[ http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=34708], had her house raided and various items including personal diaries were seized. She was held for two days and was given the ridiculous charge of Violent Disorder (Section 2) which is usually reserved for serious rioting, and carries a sentence of up to 5 years imprisonment.

Police analysed CCTV footage from the office lobby and claim to have matched faces to names presumably using FIT intelligence and yesterday raided the houses of several other activists and arrested them. Two people had computers confiscated, as happened during the Radical Dairy raid[ http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=27598] – this is, of course, illegal as the police are only allowed to seize items related to the crime committed (whatever the hell that was). Some of the police were even confused as to why they were taking such extreme measures. One house was searched when only the little brother of someone the police claim was involved was at home. The cops did not even know the surname of the occupant but they practically ransacked her home anyway, after closing her little brother in his room. No one has been able to find out what was taken from the house.

Police also turned up at the Dairy, other activists’ houses and at least one squat in the North of England but no arrests were made. Police are still searching for more people allegedly involved so if you were be careful. None of the insane charges will stick because the only “crime” they claim occurred was some writing on a wall but still having your house raided and your possessions taken from you (especially computers) and then having to go to jail and court would not be a pleasant experience.
Such overtly repressive tactics are unusual as raids like this have not even been carried out in relation to any Maydays, let alone a five-minute, non-violent action in a corridor.

Updates, court dates etc. will be posted as they are known.