The Case "Simon Brenner"- German undercover agent

arnonym | 18.12.2010 13:56 | Migration | Repression | World

German undercover agent also at NoBorder Camp in Brussels

On Sunday the 12th of December 2010 a undercover agent working for the Landeskriminalamt (LKA) Baden-Württemberg was uncovered in Heidelberg, Germany. His aim was to make contact with the Antifa scene via open left structures and to gather information about individuals as well as group structures to be presented directly to the LKA and the local state security division.

Simon Breener 1

Simon Brenner 2

After three days of research and reconstruction the following has emerged:

Legend

The LKA informer had a German national identity card under the name of "Simon Brenner" (Nr.: 6920333978D-8604138-1511088), with the date of birth stated as 13.04.1986, born in the town of Leimen (Germany). Allegedly he formerly lived in Bad Säckingen in the Waldshut (Baden-Württemberg) area, which coheres with the license plate of his silver Nissan estate car (WT-??-???).

He used a mobile with the number 0049 (0) 151 20727114 and the email addresses

simonbrenner@ymail.com and

californication@riseup.net, the latter has already been blocked. Under the user name 'californiaction' ha also wrote articles on Indymedia.

In the summer term 2010 he enrolled with most likely false documents at the University of Heidelberg in the subjects german philology and ethnology and for the winter term switched to ethnology and sociology (Student Nr.: 2858472).

Chronology

- November 2009: first appearance on the students information day, first contact to the SDS Heidelberg
- April 2010: enrollment at the University of Heidelberg, involvement with the SDS
- 24.04.2010: participation in the direct action "Umzingelung des AKW Biblis" ("encirclement of the nuclear power plant Biblis")
- 01.05.2010 participation in the blockades against the fascist protest in Berlin
- 15.05.2010 participation in the Campus Camp in Heidelberg, first contact the the "Kritische Initiative" (KI)
- 09.06.2010 participation in the anti education cuts protest in Heidelberg
- 26.07.2010 participation in a anti nuclear energy manifestation
- 15.08. - 21.08.2010: participation in a direct action climbing workshop
- 18.09.2010 participation in the the antifascist protests and blockades against the fascist protest in Sinsheim-Hoffenheim
- 27.09. - 03.10.2010: participation in the NoBorder Camp in Brussels (protests, direct action)
- 23.10.2010: participation in the antifascist protests in Rastatt and Rheinmünster-Söllingen against the fascist centre „Rössle“
- 06.11.2010: participation and co-organization of the protests against the nuclear waste transport and the 'south blockade' („Südblockade“)
- 14.11.2010 participation in the antifascist protests against the hero memorial of Heidelberg on the 'honor graveyard' („Ehrenfriedhof“)
- 27.11.2010 participation in the antifascists protests against the fascists protest in Sinsheim-Hoffenheim
- 11.12.2010 organization and participation of the Critical Mass Action in Heidelberg

The end of the operation

The agent was uncovered by a holiday acquaintance, which he had met in France before the start of his undercover mission. To her he presented himself as "Simon" and told her that he was a police officer in Überlingen. This holiday acquaintance then met him in Heidelberg while she was visiting a friend within the scene. Although he tried to pressure her not to say anything, she told her friend that he was a police officer.

Confronted with this accusation on the next day (12.12.), he admitted to have been sent to Heidelberg as undercover agent for the LKA.

He said, that he did normal police officer duty in Überlingen, but then, as he wanted to pursue a career, had to decide between BFE and LKA. He went for the latter. There he was in the division I540 ("undercover investigations state security"), and availed of a special training for undercover investigations as well as a briefing on the situation of the Heidelberger left scene.

The aim of his mission he said was "information gathering and threat prevention", however without a concrete incident being the instigator nor there being a concrete suspicion (which by German law is necessary for such a mission). The long term goal of this long planed mission was to gather information about the "antifa-scene". Over a medium term, he said, he wanted to try and make contact to the Antifascist Initiative Heidelberg (AIHD) and to infiltrate them.

Further on, he said he gave reports to his superiors in Stuttgart every two weeks, as well as having been in contact in a regular manner over the phone with the Heidelberger sate security division for follow up assessments of political actions.

He also self-confessed that he was responsible for the raiding of a flat of a comrade as well as the enormous police presence at the Heidelberger "Ehrenfriedhof" during the protests against the hero memorial.

During his deployment of nearly 9 months, he said that he gathered all information he could get on political activists and there private environment, to subsequently file these and then forward them to his superiors.

Conclusion

The goal of this mission was obviously the infiltration of and the widespread information gathering on the Heidelberg left, especially of the organized antifa scene. Through the selection of the groups and actions in which he engaged, he tried to establish a comprehensible theoretical as well as practical radicalization for "his" political peers. For this the snitch used low-threshold open structures and groups, to gather a credible reputation within the "scene" to then in a long term avail of precarious and sensitive information.

Even though this case in a shocking way demonstrates how parts of the executive forces undermine the constitutionally enshrined imperative of the separation between police forces and intelligence services and simply ignore the law with such a ruthlessness, also especially towards the psychological condition of the immediate persons concerned, we herby pledge not to set open structures and 'scene-newbies' under general suspicion.

Open structures and groups are necessary low-threshold points of reference for politically interested people. Nonetheless, it is necessary, now even more so than before, to instigate discussions within the organized left about the risks of open structures and to work towards a security concept beyond blind paranoia or to call security standards already in place into our minds and into political praxis!

No collaboration with state repression institutions!
For solidarity!
Get organized! Support your local antifa!

ATTENTION: This reconstruction by no ways claims to be complete! If you should have more information about "Simon Brenner", pictures or actions in which he took part, details of his life (also before his undercover mission), please refer to the Rote Hilfe or the Antifascist Initiative Heidelberg, whose statements and press releases are documented in the following links:

http://www.rote-hilfe.de/static/news.php?a=86

https://linksunten.indymedia.org/fr/node/30691

This above text is a crude and quick translation of the following article:

http://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/30769

More information and more pictures can be found on these sites:

http://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/30854

http://kritischeinitiative.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/stellungnahme-der-k-i-zum-fall-%E2%80%9Esimon-brenner%E2%80%9C/

http://www.jungewelt.de/2010/12-18/032.php

arnonym

Additions

German undercover cop uncovered: Simon Bromma

15.01.2011 16:50

https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/01/472056.html

follow-up investigations

Comments

Hide the following 53 comments

Well done on uncovering a rat

18.12.2010 14:27

And a good comprehensive report too. How much better than the negligence surrounding the uncovering of Mark Stone/Kennedy, of whom not one decent photograph has even been released yet.

Beowulf

Mark Kennedy comment...

18.12.2010 14:47

Actually there were 2 photos, the best that could be found, published with the uncovering of Mark Kennedy. And it was done pretty well I think, considering it's the first time its been done at all, and there were no precedents to look at and follow.

But obviously you would have done it so much better...

Nonny Mouse

The 2 best photos?!

18.12.2010 15:14

What utter rubbish! A pic of him in a large hat and another with his hair in a style he rarely wore it?! There are hundreds of pics of this vain wanker in the hands of a few activists, also videos, so why aren't they on the net along with the nane of his boat and all the other info that's known about him. The team that appointed themselves to deal with this have a responsibility to the movement to finish the job. And yes I DO think I could have done a better job.

Beowulf

Photos

18.12.2010 15:25

I was at the 69ers party last year and have seen loads of photos taken of MS there including ones showing his tattoos. Also there was at least a dozen photos of him on display in the bar, some of them old ones from before he was pretending to be an activist.

Zider Drinker

Fallen Stone

18.12.2010 17:12

Has any more info been released on Kennedy/Stone other than what was previously on indymedia? My understanding was that further info would follow the (fairly brief) initial statement. Well done to the German comrades btw.

Pob

why is more information needed about MS?

18.12.2010 17:30

The pictures are good enough to identify hi, and since its been all over the net he's not going to be doing any more infiltration. The constant call for more information on IMC doesn't seem to be about security, but about curiosity. The people who discovered him, and released the information, don't owe anything to the movement. They were betrayed by someone they seen as a friend, so they deserve your sympathy and respect.

Fabbri

What do you need to know?

18.12.2010 19:40

Pob, what and why do you need to know? If you were involved with Kennedy politically you'd know about it and if not, it doesn't really matter does it? What that hasn't been given do you think you really need to know and why? Lots of information has been given out to anarchists and people face to face, not jut to random shouts on the internet demanding more info from people that nobody knows who they are...

Jeb

A full exposure is long overdue

18.12.2010 20:45

Here's the Stone-Kennedy thread and the pics under discussion -

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/10/466477.html The German post above is a great example of how things could/should be done. Kennedy-Stone infiltrated groups all over Europe and beyond, and surely it's in everyone's interests to ensure that in 5 years time he can't sneak back into the Barcelona squatting scene (for example) with a new name and haircut.

Tamarisk (the name of a certain person's narrowboat)

Good People who didnt know them, have even more need to know info on infiltrator

18.12.2010 20:50

especially ones like Mark stoneKennedy who is into martial arts& violence,
after an alleged attack by police he encouraged attacks on police.
Mark Kennedy Stone was a hard man who loved violence more than any other activist in Nottingham.
more photos, more info needed please to expose& shed light on him please,
people like this must be discouraged more for the sake of every community.

Mr hood

FAO Jeb

18.12.2010 20:57

I knew Mark Stone/Kennedy well enough to recognise him again Jeb, but there are plenty of activists who maybe aren't even aware of coming into contact with him as well as people who might come into contact with him the future.

Pob

Yes more info needed

18.12.2010 21:08

How about a pic of his passport, the details on his child's birth certificate. Some things could have been faked, but I doubt his love of Chelsea FC, his love of shit rock bands, and most of all his love of himself was.

activist

One thing hasn't changed

18.12.2010 21:20

Cops still have really bad haircuts!

AFA

Stockholme Syndrome?

18.12.2010 21:56

I think the people who dealt with this are good activists albeit perhaps understandably a iittle out of their depth. More importantly though they were perhaps a little too close to the Flash cozzer. This may explain the way that both he and his boat were allowed to sail away into the sunset as well as the seeming reluctance to publicise all the information known about him.

Jim

And again...

18.12.2010 22:30

Pob, everthing that people need to know he is a cop has been made public. If people feel there's other s around that haven't heard they can make that information go further, the people that expose him don't have the time or inclination to do more - and to be honest it's not their responsibility, it's the movements.

Activist, what is the point of dragging his children into it? It has nothing to do with them. And has it occurred to you that people haven't made some information public (like a copy of his passport) either cos they don't have it, or that they have valid security reasons not to do so.

Again, people that need to know do, for everybody else it's just arrogant loud mouthed self important bleating...

Jeb

Unbelievable...

18.12.2010 22:36

Jim, how dare you suggest that the people that are closest and have been most hurt (politically and personally) involved are sympathetic to this traitor. Have some fucking tact and empathy, not to mention their political sense. They have exposed everything they have that doesn't compromise them.

Introduce yourself to those that exposed him one day and suggest that, I know what their response will be...

Another view

At last the truth. And it stinks!

19.12.2010 00:01

You "don't have the time or inclination"?! Well perhaps the little gang of secret squirrels who were previously supposed to be dealing with this could pass on the info they have to someone who is less self absorbed and has a greater sense of responsibility.

No wonder the cops piss all over us

19.12.2010 00:21

Jeb, if I had pics of this scumbag I'd post them all over the net (along with everything else I knew about him), why wouldn't I? Unfortunately I don't have any pics of him beyond the 2 rather crap ones that were posted to IM. I'm sure better pics exist though and would it really be so much trouble to post some up? Surely it's not a great deal more effort than replying to my earlier comments on this thread?

Pob

Nothing more

19.12.2010 00:23

When will people shut up on this one?

"They have exposed everything they have that doesn't compromise them."

That's sort of right, except that it's not them (the people who exposed Flash Mark or others formerly close to him) who might be compromised, but innocent third parties. His child has been mentioned above. It would have been better if that detail hadn't been referred to, but now that it has YES, the identity, address etc.of that child is exactly the information people are anxious not to reveal.

WILL PEOPLE PLEASE FINALLY ACCEPT THERE IS NO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MARK KENNEDY EXCEPT A DOCUMENT WHICH WOULD COMPROMISE HIS CHILD. That's all there is. It would tell you absolutely nothing you don't know already except details about the child and (possibly) the child's mother. What on earth would be the point of trashing these people's lives? It's not the child's fault her / his dad's a bastard, is it?. Or do you believe in visiting the sins of the father upon the child unto the third generation or something?

As for the name of his boat, he disappeared from it as soon as he was outed and it will now either have been sold to someone who is probably completely unconnected and innocent or had a repaint and its name changed.

Those involved have been highly responsible in protecting those who should be protected, and it is offensive to suggest that they, or anyone else, has just allowed Flash Mark to "sail away".

Stroppyoldgit

My kid wasn't protected from Mark Stone

19.12.2010 00:50

There's probably a file on her now. But it's not sthll too late to protect other mothers and kids who Stone may later come into contact with. The web should be awash with this traitor's face and all the info known about him. This whole affair stinks of a self-appointed clique. It wasn't just people in Notts who got fucked over by Stone or whatever his name is.

Another activist

Sailing away

19.12.2010 01:08

Like a lot of whats been said it's not actually true that the boat and its owner disappeared at the same time. The boat was moored up in the same place for at least a week after its owner was allowed to drive off in his white van.

Tamarisk

Brenner & Stone

19.12.2010 03:02

Well done to our german comrades for unmasking the shit, Simon Brenner. It takes a lot of courage and brings a lot of hurt to follow up that kind of investigation, I'm sure. It must be sending shock-waves around the movements he got involved with there.
Also, a renewed message of love and soliadrity to all those hurt by Stone. I hope time and shared support is helping, though I guess events like this rake it all up again.
xx

anon

Closure

19.12.2010 09:18

I was VERY close to Stone and am still in shock from the news he was a cop, which I only learned about shortly before the story broke on indymedia. I've had close friends die and the feelings I'm experiencing are very similiar, though of course I'm also very angry. It might help a bit if I was certain that this evil duplicitous bastard was never again going to be in a position to fuck people over in the way he has me and my friends. I was also led to believe that further efforts would be put into publicising Stone's identity with more photographs and information about him released (even a full physical description would be a start). While I respect the work and courage that went into confronting Stone I am hurt that the task has not been completeted in the way I was led to understand it would be.

also anon

7-year snitch: ‘Flash’ the activist is a secret cop

19.12.2010 09:39

A police officer spent seven years undercover living as a hippie and environmental activist to infiltrate peaceful protest groups

He drank with them, he climbed with them, he even seemed to love them and was loved in return. But Mark “Flash” Stone was living a double life as perhaps the most deeply embedded undercover police officer in Britain.

Questions are being asked this weekend as to what the police officer achieved in seven years, living at the taxpayers’ expense as a hippie and environmental activist. He infiltrated protest groups that were mainly peaceful in nature, moved in with them and travelled to Iceland and all over Europe.

His double existence ended when friends discovered documents showing his true identity, leaving a trail of emotional wreckage and a sense of bewilderment that the authorities should invest so much time for a seemingly modest reward.

Stone — real name Mark Kennedy — was among 114 people arrested last year on the eve of a planned invasion of a power station. The aim was to shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire for a week, preventing the release of 150,000 tons of carbon dioxide from one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases in Europe.

He drove the car on the initial reconnaissance and even hired a 7½-ton truck for the main event. But charges against him were dropped, leaving 20 others to be convicted last week of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass.

With his long hair, tattoos and body piercings, nobody suspected that their comrade in saving the planet was a detective. But Stone is thought to be a member of the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), a secret unit known as “the Hairies” because officers can wear their hair as they please.

According to one former member, only married officers are accepted into the unit, as they are less likely to “go native” if they have families to return to.

Called “Flash” because he had more money than other activists, Stone became a familiar face in Nottingham, hanging about at the Sumac centre, a vegan cafe and social club for people concerned with human and animal rights, the environment and pacifism. He lived with activists in the city.

His former friends say he was vehemently anti-police, a pose slightly at odds with a community more inclined to organise workshops on what they perceive as “bad policing” than to fight about it.

For the takeover of the power station, the protesters drew up health-and-safety plans and a rule that there would be no violence. They were to stop the conveyor carrying coal into the boilers, climb the 653ft chimney and unfurl protest banners.

The workers would be given leaflets reassuring them that jobs could be created by greener energy, while costlier but cleaner gas-fired stations would come on line to supply the National Grid, keeping the nation’s lights on.

Eon, the owner of the station, knew about the action five days beforehand and could have sought an injunction. Instead, the protesters were allowed to assemble and were then arrested.

Stone was unmasked as a suspected police officer 18 months later, just before the trial. Confronted by six friends with paperwork showing his real name, he admitted being in the Metropolitan police. The six published a short account of his confession in the green media, to general disbelief.

“Look at the bloke,” said one activist. “What did they do, send him from Hendon [police training centre] to spend five years smoking rollies and living in a tent? It boggles the mind that he’s spent so long doing basically f***-all, expending so much effort in terms of debate, slow, dull legwork and campaigning — and still be thinking, ‘Aha, fooling these oh-so-dangerous activists brilliantly’.”

Last week two police forces confirmed Stone’s status to The Sunday Times. “The individual is a Met officer,” said Nottinghamshire police. “He’s an undercover officer,” said the Metropolitan police. “We can’t say more.”

Scotland Yard refused requests for information about the SDS, a unit of the Met with a remit to prevent disorder. It was set up in 1968 after violence at anti-Vietnam war protests.

An insight into its methods came this year, when an SDS officer from the 1990s described his work. For four years the officer, Peter Daley, spent one day a week with his wife and family and six as a hate-filled Trotskyist on the wrong side of a riot shield. He was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and won an out-of-court settlement.

Stone has disappeared from Nottingham, leaving friends in shock. One said: “Whatever else Mark is, I do believe he had genuine feelings for those he had meaningful relationships with in the last seven years.”

The friend added: “I don’t believe he could be with such beautiful, wonderful people and not feel love.”

The protesters will be sentenced next month.

against paywalls (Sunday Times)

To also anon...

19.12.2010 09:43

If you were so close to him YOU know the info and you do it. The people that exposed him have done what they said they'd do and have no more info than everyone else now. If othe people in the scene feel like more is needed to be made public then they have exacly the same access to the info, and THEY or YOU could do it. The people that did the exposure have made it very clear that they had passed resonsibility to the collective, rather than be some small group doing it.

And to that fool that thinks this was enjoyable, calling them a clique of 'secret squirrels' - grow up. They sat in a meeting of over 50 people at the anarchist bookfair and explained the info and how it was found to everyone there. FFS...!

Another view

A complacent view

19.12.2010 10:12

People said they were dealing with this, so why hasn't it happened. If I had photos of MS I'd post them up, but I haven't. Bearing in mind that the Met have confirmed MS is still a serving cop we cannot afford to be complacent. Do you really speak for the people in Notts involved in this 'Another view'? Or are you one of the many peripheral characters who has entered the mawkish blub-fest?

Front up or shut up

19.12.2010 10:55

Lots of the critical comments on this thread about the way in which the Stone/Kennedy exposure was handled need responding to. First off, as has been said, all of you who say you were close to Stone/Kennedy are able to take some responsibility and add physical descriptions, find better photos (off other mutual friends if you dont have photos yourself) and post them. Second, having been at the meeting at the anarchist bookfair at which the background to the exposure was presented, I echo the need to respect the security concerns about "publishing all sources". If you werent at that meeting, chat to someone who was. Thirdly, if you were close to Stone/Kennedy then you will be able to get in touch with those who exposed him - I suggest you constructively address any concerns you have about the info to them directly, perhaps even offering to help "do a better job", rather than posting anonymous moans on indymedia.

any name will do

Good German Report

19.12.2010 11:34

That really is an excellent report on 'Simon Brenner'. The contrast with the original Indy report on the Stone/Kennedy case couldn't be greater. I don't suppose the German people had much experience of cops either. Let's learn from them. We shouldn't leave it to the likes of the 'Sunday Times' to publicise Stone/Kennedy's nefarious activities. Why on earth was he treated with kid gloves and why is that continuing? I hope the story breaks big-time and that he is held to account for his activities over the past seven years. He certainly sounds to have enjoyed a cushy lifestyle at the tax-payer's expense.

The better job that should have been done

19.12.2010 11:43

was before the cunt was allowed to fuck off back to the Met. Too late for that now isn't it?

Well and truly fucked up

Fronting up

19.12.2010 11:57

I've ro people 'on the inside' about this on a number of occassions over the past few months and always been led to belieave it was in progress. If it really is the case that these people have just lunched out on what they told me they'd do I really won't have anymore to do with them.

Sunday Times

19.12.2010 12:16

If anyone has a copy of today's Sunday Times piece would they be kind enough to scan it in and post it up here as a jpeg? I was also close to 'Stone' and am due to get some counselling as this has upset me a lot. However I'm worried they'll just think I'm paranoid. My doctor was sympathetic but I'm not sure he really believed me.

Thanks

To AA and the rest...

19.12.2010 12:38

I don't know who 'inside' you've talked to but I know for a fact it wasn't any of the few people that exposed him initially as they have made it very clear that they have passed on all the info they can to everybody and are not 'working on something'. If other people want to produce something then great, they go ahead and do so. But nobody has lunched it out, and to childishly say that you won't have anything to do with them because they have is lying and/or shit stirring to say the least.

Yes, it could have been done a bit better. Easy to say retrospectively. Even easier to say with emotional and political distance. Even easier to say from behind a keyboard.

Anyway, the main details are out there. Having people say they have better photos of him, and then moan why haven't other people published better ones (than the 2 published that I think are actually quite good, and anyway, how would you know what photos people have so to be able to judge whether there are better ones?) is comic/tragic to say the least.

So, once more for the record, and read this again slowly most of you lot moaning above...

If you feel so strongly that more info can be published about Kennedy that is useful, go and fucking get it and publish it. The few people that initially exposed him have no more info that can be made public, and so have no more information than anyone else.

Despairing of idiocy on here...

Despairing

2 points

19.12.2010 12:41

I think I might have been at an antifa event with this bloke @ 5 years ago, but I'm not certain. Can someone PLEASE put up a better picture of him? It could be very important. Also, did any of the Ratcliffe defendents try calling him as a witness?

Makhnovite

And more...

19.12.2010 13:08

They were the best photos of hundreds that his friends had, it's actually not that common to have well lit, close up, full face photos believe it or not, most are from an odd angle, distance or badly lit or have summat else that makes them unsuitable.

You might have been on a demo, 5 years ago with him? Yeah, well important to get another photo... FFS... STOP MOANING!

Alfredo

Alfredo

And about Ratcliffe

19.12.2010 13:12

No he wasn't called as a witness, there was no point as the defendants weren't denying it, just trying for a legitimacy defence, so according to their lawyers there was nothing to gain from attempting to get him as a witness.

Amazing how everybody on here seems to be an expert in unmasking cops/legal defence etc.

Court attender

What's the problem?

19.12.2010 13:14

Hundreds of people got fucked over by this peice of shit so why are a few of those people getting snotty because some of the others are asking for the release of more pics n info? All sorts of info could be useful in terms of tracking his past activities and identifying him in the future. For example his accent, did he smoke, what were his tats, did he have any physical defects, what was his date of birth, etc, etc, etc.

Small-time activist

Come on Alfredo!

19.12.2010 13:28

I saw dozens of photoes of Flash Mark at his b'day party the other year - the bloke couldn't stop posing for photos. I even saw a close-up pic of him at an earth first tree-planting do where he was wearing a fucking dress.

In the pan

Alfredo

19.12.2010 13:41

I didn't say at a demo, I said at an event. I'm not being more specific, but since there are 20-odd antifascists facing serious conspiracy charges in which Kennedy might play a role you could just be a little more helpful.

Makhnovite

Ratcliffe

19.12.2010 13:53

Hey I was only asking!

Makhnovite

Re Mark Stone

19.12.2010 14:04

Inevitably, over the years lots of people had encounters with Mark, partying, sharing supposedly covert discussions and doing actions. I am one of them, and I too feel betrayed.

I think it really could be useful to know more - eg, about how people found out about him; how his involvement affected the actions/campaigns he was in; indications of what/how he gathered information; what, in particular, he was interested in gathering info on, and so on.

I suspect that this type of info could help defend ourselves from this in future, so I understand why some people feel frustrated.

However, the people who uncovered him had a really unpleasant task, and I really want to thank them for identifying him and rooting him out of our movements. Despite my desire to know more, I think we should assume that there are sound reasons for not disclosing certain bits of information, as various posters above have said. I trust that people have made that decision for sensible reasons and accept that I don't need to know the ins and outs of how he was exposed.

So can people acknowledge that fact and have a little more sensitivity to the difficult situation and the tough decisions people have had to make? At the same time, if there are any observations about the way mark worked that could be useful to share, which wouldn't be damaging to disclose, I would encourage people to do so.

Hard to believe

19.12.2010 14:17

Bearing that the Mark Stone/Kennedy was possibly the most successful infiltration into a radical movement by an actual cop ever, is it really time for those involved to start putting their feet up? Reading through this thread, cynics might suspect that some sort of deal was struck - keep schtum about a few things and stay away from us personally, and in return we'll let you walk away, leave your boat alone, release only limited information about you, and protect your family. I hope such cynics will be proven wrong by full and proper disclosure.

Watcher

Mark Kennedy comment...

19.12.2010 14:25

"I think it really could be useful to know more - eg, about how people found out about him; how his involvement affected the actions/campaigns he was in; indications of what/how he gathered information; what, in particular, he was interested in gathering info on, and so on."

So, here we go...

"How people found out about him."
It's been explained before. Personal documents in his real name he left lying about and then those were chased up.

"How his involvement affected the actions/campaigns?"
If people involved in those want to do this analysis, then they should feel free. It can't be done by anybody that wasn't involved in them can it?

"What indications of what/how he gathered info on?"
He was about for 8 years in numerous areas, so loads of actions and campaigns all over Europe. How? First hand attendance, pretty obviously.

"What was he interested in gathering info on?"
How do you propose we establish this? Ask him or the Met??!! My educated guess is radical anarchist/activist politics connected to anti-globalisation and eco-activism, less so antifa stuff, not at all everything else.

And to Maknovite, yeah I know the case, and people involved know him personally and have the info on him. If they need to use it they can.

And once more, if you have better photos you can publish them, but those 2 were the best of lots.

Alfredo

Earth First!

19.12.2010 14:52

I've worked in Earth First! and it's funny how it's always the same people on the inside of the 'need to know' - irrespective of how many times they fuck up. The fact Earth First! is so cliquey, undemocratic, and hierarchical is what allowed Stone to flourish. Earth First! isn't about who you are and what you know, it's about you are shagging. Stone never had any real politics that I could, but he shagged and socialized with the right people. From what I've read on indymedia few lessons have been learned., and the only person being protected are Stone and his former close associates.

Smiley Culture

NoBorder legal

19.12.2010 17:03

Can people and trolls who want to discuss Mark "Stone" please do so in the appropriate threads?
Different person, different countries .
One thing which has come to light recently in this thread

https://linksunten.indymedia.org/node/30769
is that "Brenner" has been working in the NoBorder team in Brussels in the night of 1/2 october. This has direct consequences for anyone with a German nationality involved in NoBorder as Germany actively prosecutes German activists abroad. Brussels police at the time indicated that its extremely heavy handed approach was partly motivated by information from Germany. Nice to have a agent-provocateur at the camp then....
It also means that anyone who had given personal information to the legal team before oct2 will have to consider that information compromised.

140

His boat

19.12.2010 17:05

Before anyone rushes to sink his boat, please bear in mind that there are 20 'Tamarisks' on the canals and he's probably sold it or re-named it by now! Shame.

http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/boatreg.php?bn=

anon

Boat

19.12.2010 18:52

I spoke to someone a few days after the @ bookfair about the boat. They told me they had been assured that it was being taken care of. Clearly it wasn't. I'd be very surprised if it hasn't been sold yet. I'd also be surprised if there aren't people with pictures of it.

Brenner in Britain?

19.12.2010 20:50

I agree with "140" about getting this thread back on track! To return to Brenner, does anyone know if he ever visited Britain or had any contact with UK activists?

Cross-posting

19.12.2010 23:29

I think that's a fair point about cross-posting, but also that it was legitimate to compare the two cases.

Non

on the NoBorder Camp in BXL

21.12.2010 10:03

about the german infiltrant:

We have confirmation that he was in fact in the NoborderCamp in Brussels, (and there's a picture of him at a demo on the 29th of september) but nobody from the Legal team seems to remember him as beeing part of the legal team. He might have been hanging around the legal team table on the night of 1th to 2nd october,as many others did, but he wasn't gathering testimonies or data there, only members of the juridical team had that information. This info is confirmed by the legal team. So it's better not to freak out entirely on the testimonies!!

Anyway, we better take in account that those sort of camps are always going to attract strange people.

NBC

Noborderer brussels

Brenner and Uk activists

21.12.2010 12:52

Hj - Yeah he did have contact with UK activists - a lot of contact. He stayed on our Bario at the NB camp with the Heidelberg crew. He also gave people lifts home in his car. I personally didnt suspect him as he was trusted by some good friends of mine.
Just goes to show really doesnt it..

anon

The undercover agent hadn't had any internal access to the Legal Team

21.12.2010 13:48

It's not true that Simon had access to internal data from the Legal Team.

However it's true, that he made some inquieries at the Legal Team desk. His questions were related about information on demonstrations. He was writing a couple of articles together with other activists from Heidelberg, Germany. Several of them were about police brutality.
He wanted to know stuff like...
who many activists were detained?
how are the actions of the belgian police considered?

He had never access to the ID-cards. And he hadn't had access to the computer.

Gabriel

Photos

03.01.2011 20:04

Lots of photos exist of him wearing shades...two rare ones of him without are shown...if you have any, put them up.
Campaigns he was involved in could publish info of what he was involved in if they want to.
He was uncovered following close friends finding his real name and following it up.
All details were told to a large open meeting at the anarchist bookfair...anyone who was there (I wasn't) could post up what was said.
What more do you need????????????

Confused

"Simon Brenner" is Simon Bromma

04.01.2011 18:23

The real identity of "Simon Brenner" has been uncovered, his email address and several other accounts have been hacked. His real name is Simon Bromma, he's from Radolfzell (southern Germany) and both his father and his brother are cops, too:

http://linksunten.indymedia.org/en/node/31404

It would be great if someone could find some time to translate this article.

The case generated quite a lot of media attention in Germany:

http://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/30769#comments

got him

simon brenner

18.01.2011 11:45

i recognise this guy but i haven't been outside the uk in ages apart from no borders camps in calais and greece in 2009 - does anyone else recognise him from either?

on the trail