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climate activists prevented from travelling under terrorists legislation

jack sheppard | 15.10.2009 14:22 | COP15 Climate Summit 2009 | Climate Chaos | Migration | Repression

Too tired to write seperate article but one additional quote from the coppers who interviewed us: "95% of people we stop under this legislation aren't terrorists".

UK border police (Kent Constabulary) used anti-terrorist legislation to prevent a British climate change activist from crossing over into mainland Europe where he planned to take part in events surrounding the forthcoming United Nations summit in Denmark.

Chris Kitchen, a 31-year-old office worker, said he feared his treatment by police could mark the start of a clampdown on protesters, hundreds of whom are planning to travel to Copenhagen for the climate change talks in December.

Tonight he will make a second attempt to reach Denmark, where he plans to take part in discussions organised by a network of protest groups coming together under the banner Climate Justice Action.

He said he was prevented from crossing the border yesterday at about 5pm, when the coach he was travelling on stopped at the Folkestone terminal of the Channel tunnel.

Kitchen said police officers boarded the coach and, after checking all passengers' passports, took him and another climate activist to be interviewed under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, a clause which enables border officials to stop and search individuals to determine if they are connected to terrorism.

The passports were not initially scanned, Kitchen said, suggesting the officials knew his name and had planned to remove him from the coach before they boarded. During his interview, he was asked questions about his family, work and past political activity. The police also asked him what he intended to do in Copenhagen.

When Kitchen said that anti-terrorist legislation does not apply to environmental activists, he said the officer replied that terrorism "could mean a lot of things". By the time his 30-minute interview had concluded, Kitchen's coach had gone.

Police are understood to be monitoring protesters on a number of databases, some of which highlight individuals when they pass through secure areas, such as ports.

Kitchen is a prominent activist who has taken place in a number of peaceful acts of civil disobedience, such as glueing himself to a statue in parliament, to call for more action to cut carbon emissions.

"The use of anti-terrorist legislation like this is another example of political policing, of the government harassing and intimidating people practising their hard earned democratic rights," he said. "We are going to Copenhagen to take part in Climate Justice Action because we want to protest against false solutions like carbon trading and to build a global movement for effective, socially just solutions.

"People who are practising civil disobedience on climate change in the face of ineffectual government action are certainly not terrorists, and I am sure that their actions will be vindicated by history."

Kitchen said police paid for a ticket for him to return to London after questioning and arranged for the coach company to give him a seat on another coach.

A Home Office spokesman said: "There has been no change in policy. Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 enables an examining officer to stop, search and examine a person at a port or in a border area to determine whether they are someone who is or has been concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

"The exercise of the powers by the police is an operational matter for each force."

Jack Sheppard adds "On our second try to get to Copenhagen we we're reminded that we were relatively lucky, when 2 "Sans Papiers" were removed from our coach - probably to a German Detention Centre"

jack sheppard

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Did he embark ??

15.10.2009 15:07

The article is vague in what happened ..

Was he actually stopped from leaving England ?

His coach had left but if he went as a foot passenger would he have been stopped from Embarking on the ferry ??

What passport does he hold ??

Since last year the new E Borders came into effect.
This means all passengers going and comeing to UK are entered into a computer at various stages.

.. When one buys a ticket..the Carrier has to submit ones name, adress, how was the ticket paid, when is the return date. This all happens before one arrives at the border.

Cold Stomper


AR

15.10.2009 15:21

This has been used many times on animal rights activists (particularly those later arrested during the SHAC blackmail investigation). The police have a certain amount of time during which they can suspend basic rights such as access to a lawyer. They have thus far always released people during this period as they are acting unlawfully. You have to answer questions under this legislation, but as they are being unlawful it all gets done quicker if you go No Comment (or silent) - there isn't much they can do in this situation!

The best thing to do is judicial review in my opinion.

Roger


Don't get mad, get even

15.10.2009 22:07

The victims should consult the Code of Practice at  http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/terrorism-act-2000/Code-of-Practice-for-Examin1.pdf before making their complaint. For example

"When deciding whether to exercise their Schedule 7 powers, examining officers should base their decisions on a number of considerations, including factors such as;
* known and suspected sources of terrorism;
* Individuals or groups whose current or past involvement in acts or threats of terrorism is known or suspected and supporters or sponsors of such activity who are known or suspected;
*Any information on the origins and/or location of terrorist groups;
*Possible current, emerging and future terrorist activity;"

Are climate activists blowing people up, with carbon neutral explosives, have they done so in the past, are they likely to do so in the future? No, no, no.

Don't complain to Kent Police, complain to Lord Carlisle  http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/legislation/independent-review-legislation/ who tells us that nobody has complained to him about this.


A N Other


Missed a bit

16.10.2009 09:47


The powers to stop, question, detain and search persons under Schedule 7 do not require an examining officer to have any grounds for suspicion against any individual prior to the exercise of the powers. Therefore examining officers must take into account that many people selected for examination using Schedule 7 powers will be entirely innocent of any unlawful activity.

That's the real problem with terrorism powers - they don't require 'reasonable suspision' not do they require explination afterwards!

Edwin Bloodaxe


@Cold Stomper - EBorder

16.10.2009 10:49

Hi,

Folkstone - Eurotunnel doesn't provide service for foot passenger. So if the coach already left the only option is to get dropped to local train station to go back home (or Dover port).

E-Border does not work, I regularly go to the continent using eurotunnel and while the details of the person booking might be passed to authorities, you never have to give a list of your passengers (and filling car registration is not mandatory). I went numerous times without any passport control going out of England (coming back in we are usually checked - systematically for a few months).
So so much for e-border counting of everybody in and out....

Stephane