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Kennedy Mania in the Mainstream Media

19.01.2011 19:01 | Other Press | Policing | Repression | Sheffield | World

The media has gone into a feeding frenzy over what was described by Newsnight as the "deepening controversy over police agents". Yet still none of them are putting together the evidence that political policing has been used to trash the 'right to protest' in this country,of which the use of undercover coppers is only a small part, with FIT Teams, kettling and general harrassment of protestors being other major parts of the ongoing police strategy. Perhaps this is because these same journos are part of the media circus that allows the cops to get away with it as we march towards water cannon and a police state.

However, the long term infiltration of environmental and direct action groups in the UK by PC Mark Kennedy for a seven year period, must be causing some discomfort for the cops, as his antics in the UK and ,according to the Guardian another 22 countries, are beginning to be unravelled.

Today's Independent claims that Kennedy, who is missing but believed to be in the USA, has called in publicity Guru Max Clifford as he "prepares to sell his story". The report further notes that Nottingham Police have launched an internal inquiry into the mess, which will run alongside a limited IPCC inquiry which 'Amerdeep Somal, of the IPCC, said will focus on the alleged failure of Nottinghamshire Police to disclose relevant material to prosecutors.'


ACAB
ACAB


The IPCC investigation is looking at the very issue which according to a report in today's Daily Mail is at the heart of moves by the 20 Ratcliffe defendants convicted shortly before Christmas to appeal their convictions:

...lawyers for the group have written to the Crown Prosecution Service to demand information on whether Kennedy had a role in gathering evidence on which they were convicted.

If he was and the jury was not informed, they could claim a miscarriage of justice had taken place, the Guardian newspaper reported.



.

Recent revelations that Kennedy confirmed that a Leeds based activist, who used the name Lyn Watson, had also been a police infiltrator, are likely to have caused some scurrying around by cops yesterday.

The Guardian "decided, after representations from senior police officers, to refer to her only as Officer A, and to use pixellated pictures of her."

However it has already come to light that 'Lyn Watson' was a member of the now-defunct Clown Army and acted as a medic at Climate Camps, where she helpfully offered radios for hire!!!. Two pictures of her were published by Indymedia yesterday, which would have left the police with no choice other than to pull her from any undercover operations she might have currently been involved in. And she is not the only one!! According to the Guardian:

A police chief with detailed knowledge of the deployments of undercover officers in the protest movement said Kennedy's breach of protocol could lead to the "relocation of a considerable number of people".

That included undercover officers currently involved in ongoing police investigations across the UK and their families. "This is serious stuff," the police chief said. "Lots of people are at risk – their lives are at risk."



The irony of police operations being disrupted by Kennedy should not be lost on us. As a recent FitWatch article pointed out:

Some activists at the heart of international organising believe that the involvement of Mark and others like him ultimately led to the collapse of international networks aimed at organising protest on a European and International scale.


Because, despite Hugh Ordes protestations on Newsnight last night that the deployment of Kennedy was justified by his unmasking of the planned Ratcliffe action, the reality is that the action had not been in its planning stages for seven years, and much of Kennedy's role is likely to have been disruption of groups.

Also being reported today is that German politicians are tabling questions about the role Kennedy played in German actions, whilst an Irish politician has tabled questions after allegations that Kennedy acted as an 'agent provocateur' and was involved in physical attacks on the police in Dublin. He is also being described as a key figure in creating the Iceland movement.

Let us hope that further revelations about Kennedy come to light, to illustrate what a nasty piece of work he is, and that he cannot be trusted by anyone, {not even his handlers who have scurried off to the States to track him down and no doubt try and shut him up) before Max Clifford gets an opportunity to start earning commission on book deals and other money making deals for the former copper and corporate spy.

Additions

for inthemiddleofnowhere

22.01.2011 13:49

Hi,

If you contact Bindman's legal firm, in London (who represented the original 114 people arrested that started the unravelling of Kennedy), they are beginning to organise a class action by people who had sexual relations with undercover police officers. Those bringing the action can remain anonymous.

There is absolutely nothing stopping anyone from talking about their experiences. The main concern was tabloid newspapers who were looking for gossip and nobody wanted to feed them.

The only way we will begin to find out what the police are really doing is to have a public inquiry, led by judges, as these have the power to order Kennedy and his bosses to appear, and for documents to be released. All other inquiries are merely whitewash.

On Monday there will be an action (there will soon be an email address for you to contact them):

Women's blockade of Scotland Yard, Monday January 24, 8:00am

Please forward to your friends and networks

The shocking revelations about police infiltration of protest movements get more extreme day by day. Reading Laura's story in the Guardian today about a 4th undercover cop has made us angry, sad, and upset... bringing home the true gravity of what the state does to political women in the UK.
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/19/wife-fourth-police-spy-children

Women in the UK should not have to worry about being sexually abused by policemen. It is as simple as that.

In response, we call for women to come together for a blockade of Scotland Yard, in protest at political policing and in solidarity with all women who have been exploited by men they thought they could trust.

Meet 8am outside Scotland Yard on Monday morning, January 24th.

The blockade will be simple and dignified. Despite Scotland Yard’s best efforts we will not be broken.

This is a women led event but men are welcome to come in support.

We demand that the police make public the names and identities of all other undercover offices who have worked or are working to infiltrate movements for progressive social change, so women can know whether they have also been abused by the state, and can decide whether to join other women in considering legal action against the police.

It is likely that the police officers and their superiors have committed the criminal offence of misconduct in public office, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

We demand a fully independent judge-led public inquiry into policy spying. We have no trust that the police can regulate or investigate themselves. Their actions show that they think that they are above the law. This is a dangerous situation that undermines democracy.

Please pass on to your friends, mums, colleagues and fellow activists...

You can always come for a while and still get to work at a reasonable time!

Tweet it: #inquirynow

You can also follow:

www.facebook.com/nopolicespies

@NoPoliceSpies


In solidarity, one of the many affected.

next steps


Comments

Display the following 151 comments

  1. Guardian: 3rd (and possibly 4th) Undercover cop 'exposed' - — lynx
  2. Daily Mail quotes Indymedia comments: — lynx
  3. NPOIU saw budget increased from £2.6 million in 05/6 to £5.7m in 09/10 — lynx
  4. "Nottinghamshire Police withheld secret tapes of meetings" — lynx
  5. hate mail — susie bites policemen
  6. Irish Times: Eco-spy infiltrated Irish protests — lynx
  7. Telegraph: Eco infiltrator Mark Kennedy: The great betrayal — lynx
  8. Tust heil for a luagh — @rchie
  9. Times: Police hid tapes that put protestors in the clear — against paywalls
  10. An activist on CiF: Police climate spies can't break us — lynx
  11. catch up churnalism: nothing new here — lynx
  12. Mail article is fiction! — Aresa Crockett
  13. Cannabis smoke — Stroppyoldgit
  14. Journos — Felicity BK
  15. Ordure — Stroppyoldgit
  16. Sky: ACPO trying to pass the buck? — lynx
  17. Telegraph: Kennedy's wife has left him — lynx
  18. BBC: Kennedy goes crying (and lying) to the Mail (for money) — lynx
  19. UKPA: More of the Mail story revealed — lynx
  20. just fucking die — anarchist
  21. Mail: Kennedy tells all - is suicidal - can't be believed — lynx
  22. labor — Marie
  23. On phone security — Danny
  24. More in the Mail: True love/unmasking/ undercover operations — lynx
  25. Turning phones off — An activist
  26. @An Activist — Danny
  27. crap about phones — tinfoil hats should check their facts
  28. London - July 7 — m
  29. Kennedy, Global Open and EON - time for some answers — GM
  30. Well done Simon Lewis n co — Arnie
  31. Guardian: NPOIU and the culture of paranoia within government — lynx
  32. feel the Love — Sandy with the flower in her hair
  33. Confirmation of collaboration with foreign police — Foreigner
  34. Guardian: Why a national police force is not a good idea — lynx
  35. last crap about phones — Danny
  36. Devices - nothing to lose — An activist
  37. show that PC kennedy is lying? — isitworthit?
  38. Mark Kennedy's family — Korky
  39. Blackberry — tracking device
  40. LIES ANALYSIS — Stroppyoldgit
  41. Mark Kennedy's Family — Stroppyoldgit
  42. Herald Scotland: Revealed: how eco-spy masterminded G8 protest — lynx
  43. @tracking device — Danny
  44. Sloppyoldgit — Baldy
  45. Not too late — Alice
  46. Not too late?! — an ex friend of Mark Stone's
  47. Don't do it! — An activist
  48. Telegraph latest: 'Security Guards watching over Kennedy' — lynx
  49. Who the fuck is alice — wonderland
  50. watch video, read his interview (& rate comments) — once was friend
  51. @ Baldy — Stroppyoldgit
  52. More pics of Mark Kennedy from the Daily Mail — anon
  53. Danger has now happened — Stroppyoldgit
  54. Wake up Alice! — Tony
  55. Soppy git — Baldy
  56. @ baldy — Try and keep up please
  57. The olny sensible ream of comment here.... — Paulo
  58. Quite right — Stroppyoldgit
  59. Anyone notice the byline?? — Interesting....
  60. re: Baldy — once was friend
  61. Withheld documents — Happy Jack
  62. Guardian:Mark Kennedy authored anti-cop article — lynx
  63. Please stop with your lies... — An exposer
  64. He had driving licence — morris
  65. Guardian: Loadsamoney — lynx
  66. Misinformed — DM
  67. Guardian: Mark Kennedy: undercover cop or eco-warrior? — lynx
  68. Mailonline: Call for inquiry over how undercover policeman was supervised — lynx
  69. still misunderstanding — FTP
  70. Niave — Janet "Birdy" Silson
  71. driving licence — FTP
  72. @An activist and M - battery bug £155 — Danny
  73. advice on — AS
  74. I want you to know — Mary S
  75. Not sure but — Ollie
  76. sympathy for the stone — enjybee
  77. re: byline — dutchy
  78. @ Morris and DM — Stroppyoldgit
  79. statement from ABC Berlin — f
  80. Mail Editorial: Who's policing the undercover police? — lynx
  81. Under a stone — Simon
  82. To Simon... — An exposer
  83. The Press in York gets it wrong — links
  84. Come on exposer — Simon
  85. Link to sensible comment — peterpannier
  86. Link to sensible comment — peterpannier
  87. @ Simon — Stroppyoldgit
  88. Guardian CiF: Ratcliffe case: Police smear campaign continues — Bradley Day - repost
  89. Funny how these undercovers allways go "abroad". — G
  90. They're smarter than that — Dogsucker
  91. Why is this post dated two days into the future? — dr who
  92. @dogsucker — peterpannier
  93. fraud — fmotl
  94. Don't take Mark Kennedy's story at face value - guardian article today — quiteliketheguardianactually
  95. Myths about Lies and Detection — Danny
  96. I'm with the ABC Berlin... — Rudeboy
  97. Monbiot on CiF:Eco-terrorism: the non-existent threat we spend millions policing — lynx
  98. asking activists upfront — Bee
  99. @ Why is this post dated two days into the future? — an IMC mod
  100. @Bee - stupid to the point of evil — Danny
  101. Animal Rights — beagleboy
  102. debunked — fmotl
  103. more activist than thou — susie bites policemen
  104. @Bee — Flo
  105. Guardian: Undercover police spy ring: minister to be questioned about Kennedy — lynx
  106. @ susie bites policemen — Stroppyoldgit
  107. Irish Central: British undercover agent led attack on Irish police at rally — lynx
  108. Guardian: Mark Kennedy case could spell end for police command unit — lynx
  109. Association of Chief Police Officers will be stripped of power to run operationa — One step
  110. susiebites is right — beagleboy
  111. Anti Fascist ? — soppy old git
  112. UKPA: Undercover police work reviewed — lynx
  113. Kennedy Mania is over — lynx
  114. @ Kennedy Mania is over — counter
  115. @rudeboy / ABC Berlin & corporate media tarts — peterpannier
  116. @ Counter — Pluto
  117. Those most affected — Ange
  118. To Ange — FFS
  119. EFS Get over yourselves — Ange
  120. Kennedy was "no James Bond" — Fuk da polis
  121. take a good look in the mirror — jake
  122. some legal advice — lee gal
  123. Infiltrator married an activist and had children — Noway
  124. We need a solid portfolio of these people for future reference — Pluto
  125. Tone 'what a nasty piece of work he is' — Dave
  126. He may have done us a favour anyway — Pluto
  127. No information — Stroppyoldgit
  128. Agree he is a liar — Pluto
  129. @ Pluto — Stroppyoldgit
  130. @Stroppy — Pluto
  131. call for direction, advice and discussion... — inthemiddleofnowhere
  132. @ inthemiddleofnowhere — Stroppyoldgit
  133. @inthemiddleofnowhere — Danny
  134. Can't think of a title — Pluto
  135. @inthemiddleofnowhere — Pluto
  136. police troll — joemcivor
  137. thank you — inthemiddleofnowhere
  138. @inthemiddleofnowhere — Pluto
  139. additional info — Fabbri
  140. I have often wondered — Pluto
  141. @next steps and fabbri — inthemiddleofnowhere
  142. @ joeMcIvor — Stroppyoldgit
  143. @joemcivor — anon
  144. Guardian prints police excuse — Danny
  145. Anonymous the New World Organisation — Anonymous
  146. C4 News clip of 'Lynn Watson' in Rebel Clown Army — zoeyou
  147. Threat — Sam
  148. my political concerns — joe mcivor
  149. Collective responsibility — anti conspiracy
  150. Clarification needed — Landlord
  151. @ Joe McIvor — Stroppyoldgit