Terror raid leaks fuel anger
The War on Civil Liberties | 07.02.2007 23:40 | Terror War | Birmingham
Human rights group Liberty have expressed their concern about the media and political speculation that surrounded last week's 'anti-terror' operation. Yesterday Liberty made a Freedom of Information Request to Home Secretary John Reid highlighting the dangers of leaking information to the press.
http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/news-and-events/pdfs/homesec-letter-feb07.pdf Below are more pictures from the raids last week in Sparkhill, Birmingham.
Media wallas camp site at 24 Popular Rd
Residents running the gauntlet as they do the school run 24 Popular Rd
Forensic team about to enter 24 Durham Rd
Durham Rd residents passing Police cordon at No 24
Another group of Popular Rd residents passing No 24
Forensics removing items from Durham Rd
Those leaflets in full colour
Media walla in action
Liberty have asked the Home Secretary whether special advisers may have briefed certain journalists off the record and they list the following potential difficulties:
1. The traditional dangers with prejudicing the fair trials that must be the intended end-product of any police operation.
2. The perception that when the same personnel brief journalists on proposals to e.g. bring fundamental changes to the law to extend pre-charge detention in the same week or same breath, party politics may be trumping public safety considerations.
3. The grave danger that Central Government briefing undermines the direct operational secrecy and effectiveness of police work or, equally importantly, the trust of local communities in police intelligence and public information.
As previously reported on indymedia (
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2007/01/361195.html ), local journalists had been tipped off about the raids before they happened. Photos and captions by Pressdog
The War on Civil Liberties