Met Police begin profiling student protests

Yesterday’s student demonstration in London ended in a mass arrest of 144 people, being described by protesters and legal groups as an exercise in information gathering by Metropolitan Police.

After being surrounded by moving ‘kettles’ throughout the day, Police forced protesters back to Trafalgar square where at 6.20pm a Kettle was formed around the remaining people followed by their mass arrest for breach of the peace.

Ashley, who was inside the demo last night, said “The police took me from the kettle with another person to be searched and questioned in front of cameras. They told us that if we gave our details we would be released but after giving my name, address and date of birth I was arrested.”

FIT cop on 30/11 demo in helmet

FIT team on 30/11 demo

She added, “These arrests are nonsense. It was just an excuse for the Met to find out my name, take my figure prints and look at my phone to see how these demos are organised.”

Another protester, who’s friend was trapped in the kettle in the snow for three hours before being arrested, said “I think what’s confusing the cops is how this is organised. They can’t seem to work out how these protests are happening and how to stop them and that’s why they feel the need to collect as much information on everyone as they can”

Green and Black Cross legal group supporting the demonstrations on the day report many incidents of undercover police officers, members of the Forward Intelligence Team (FIT), mixing with protestors in order to gain information. One member of the group reports seeing undercover police bringing out batons after protestors in Lewisham on Monday night attempted to enter the town hall during a council meeting on budget cuts.

Shane from Green and Black Cross said, “What we are noticing is a huge concentration of police resources being put into information gathering, especially around the student demos this month. The concern for us is that students, particularly school or college students, aren’t aware of this tactic and make it easy for the Police to monitor them by talking about everything they did or saw at the protests on Facebook.”

Green and Black Cross will continue to support the movement against the cuts in the aftermath of last night and for future protests.

Clarification from FITWatch:
Forward Intelligence Team cops are not undercover cops – their whole remit is to provide overt surveillance. However, whereas previously they were easy to spot – often sporting a blue flash on their uniforms reminiscent of community support plods,due to adverse publicity, they are now trying to hide more and are wearing normal high vis uniforms on demos.

However, there are undoubtedly many undercover cops who are also in the crowd gathering intelligence – but there is a clear distinction.

Further clarification:
There is also a difference between undercover cops and plain clothes cops - undercover seek to infiltrate groups and pass themselves off as protestors, whilst plain clothes cops do not necessarily do so. Undercover cops are unlikely to break cover by drawing batons in public situations.

UCL Occupation and Fitwatch
Homepage: http://thoughcowardsflinch.com/2010/12/01/met-police-begin-profiling-student-protests-press-release/

Additions

Further clarification

01.12.2010 12:56

there were at least 6 plain clothes coppers at the lewisham town hall seige. They all identified themeselves as police and indeed engaged in overt police activities (although one was mistaken for a protestor and was set upon and shoved in with us during the scuffles inside the building).

It's difficult to know what they were doing there. They all left (in unmarked police cars) as soon as riot police reinforcements came, perhaps they just happened to be closest in the area when it kicked off, and were the first to respond to a call of mass disturbence at the town hall.

Either way in terms of protestors FIT are the problem that needs resolving. A comprehensive and collective strategy is needed especailly as things start to escalate

Good work fitwatch

Watching the bad ones

plain clothes at FIT

01.12.2010 13:12

in Manchester plain clothes were working closely with Evidence Gatherers in uniform. they woudl occasionally inform EG's on which students to focus on and who to film. they would also advice snatch squads on who to arrest. one was in contact with the commanding officer via mobile phone reporting on demo events and getting directions.

manc student

Comments

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FIT uniforms

01.12.2010 14:03

'Evidence-gathering' officers in the Oxford area over the last couple of weeks have tended to be wearing orange shoulder slides rather than large blue flashes. At least one officer (spotted during the Rad Cam occupation) was wearing a black vest-sort thing over the top to conceal his markings.

Mask up and obstruct.

Comatus1649

Bike chain man

01.12.2010 14:16

I have some suspicions about one man. I was stopping to change to a dry scarf, thinking I'd leave soon, when in front of me (and I wish I'd been paying attention to how it started) some guy that was threatening to use a bike chain as a weapon, and indeed using it as one at a low level, started on some rowdy black kids who I'd heard say were more interested in the rioting than the fees stuff (I heard one or two white people at trafalgar say the same, but minority of people thinking like that, obviously) and attacking and riling one of them up enough to throw his bike at the guy in response. As the weirdo with the bike chain backed off into the crowd, people were focusing on the other kid, as crowds had been attempting to break it up whilst staying way clear of the chain. They realised there was a lot of anger at having got to trafalgar kettle (and broke in purposefully through riot vans, so you know, still a win) that due to cold and extreme fatigue from running around the city, nobody quite knew what to do next but felt it wasn't done. It was suggested that the boys should not be fighting with protestors, but with the police, which the kids had no problem with apparently, hense the pics of the flower boxes, and probably some of the later more physical dissent. But the question remains, who the hell was that guy who started it? What kind of person runs around with a bike chain at a demo but with no plans against police and such? I didn't see him before or after. I could be wrong but it looked like a set up.

Anchoredwunderlust

re bike chain man

01.12.2010 18:00

Yeah there was a bit of that going on. In fact there was a picture published on flickr but now afaik it's gone, annoyingly didn't note url or save the pic. Could just be standard crap, were a few little rucks at the last big student demo.

simon

sounds like a random mcc reject or basic agent provocatuer,

01.12.2010 18:53

keepem peeled both ways;),
doesnt seem like he was member of pedals looking for a chainlinker.

Little bro