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Swiss Undercover Cop interview (G8)

j | 01.09.2011 17:41 | Policing | Repression

Today in the Swiss "WOZ" online, there is an article with a Swiss former undercover cop, who was sent to spy at the German G8. The article mentions also UK agent Mark Kennedy who was there, as well as other spies, from France amongst other places.
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full article:
 http://www.woz.ch/artikel/2011/nr35/schweiz/21095.html

The article continues that he was first sent to spy on Attac in Geneva, and also to focus on an anti-WTO demo there in 2005. After that one target was the Davos protests at the World Economic Forum, and then the German G8 in 2007. In 2007 he was also at the "Kalkbreite" squat.

He later took a train with activists from Switzerland to the German G8 Protest, and got almost 9000euros for his 3 day operation.

Since he considers himself somewhat leftist apparently, nearer to the SP party or the Green Party, he wanted to put an end to this chapter of his life, and his spying past. He even went back to Attac, to talk about what he had done. Apparently they spoke to him openly about his past.

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for a bad Bablefish translation, see below.
(Clearly this is a terrible translation, but helps to get the main points):

State protection
Of the break place directly to the secret service
September 1, 2011

Swiss state protection set it at home and abroad on globalization critic inside. Now the informer talks over its activity.

The man was an informer for that Geneva state protection as well as for Swiss inland secret service. It did not infiltrate a cell of presumed terrorists – separates the globalization-critical organization Attac in Geneva. From there out it should develop contacts to “more radical” groups.

Meeting place: Main station Geneva. It is a hot day. The former informer, we call him the Lorenz, are a schlaksiger man. It wears short trousers, somewhat strubbelige hair, a Bärtchen.

“It was at the end of my time at the High School, in the summer 2005. A school colleague asked me, whether I would have desire, as an informant of the police in the left-wing extreme scene to work”, says the Lorenz. Thereupon at that time nineteen-year old met a coworker of the “Cellule renseignements”, as that is called Geneva state protection. The Cellule worked closely with the center of the inland secret service at that time “service for analysis and prevention DAP” together (today: Intelligence service of the federation NDB).

As the Nachrichtendienstler is called, which had at that time into the Cellule a leading function, Lorenz does not want to betray. He is not around plotting a “war with the police”. At all it had an already nearly friendly relationship with the man. It calls it Philippe.

The first meeting: “It was a little as in the film. We turned round around round in its car”, remember the Lorenz. One said to him, it is to cooperate in Attac Geneva. Then it Philippe a mobile phone has presented – thereby should it for contact hold. From now on they would have met every two, three weeks in Cafés.

The first mission

Lorenz noticed already soon that Attac was not the actual goal of the infiltration mission. “It went above all around procuring information to demonstrations.” Attac as “open” organization was a means for the purpose, says the Lorenz. “I should participate for Attac in committee meetings to approximate around me gradually more radical groups.”

Its first “mission” was a demonstration in October 2005 against the world trade organization World Trade Organization in Geneva. Over one hundred organizations from in and foreign country called to it. Lorenz participated in the preparation meetings. Also at the demo it is confessed by mobile phone in direct contact with the police. “You wanted to know, what happens inside the demo – about whether people disguise themselves.”

There were incidents by the way none. Minutes of the demo preparation meetings are this very day openly in the Internet observable.

Lorenz said good-bye thereupon for longer time into the recruit school and into holidays. In September 2006 was it back. Philippe presented to him a new contact person: Marc from the center of the DAP in Berne. A Rome and, rather old. It should replace Philippe with the time completely. Philippe was appointed within that Geneva police into another section. Also Marc gave it a mobile phone, says the Lorenz.

The intelligence service set the Lorenz now on the mobilizations against the World Economic Forum in Davos and the G8-Gipfel in the German holy dam. Lorenz remembers two organizations, which particularly interested the intelligence service: the revolutionary structure from Zurich and the autonomous G8-Mobilisierungsnetzwerk “Dissent!”. Connections to “Dissent!” for instance the well-known Geneva activist Olivier de Marcellus had. “You should have the chance to bring you to it closer: It interests us”, to it Philippe said, so the Lorenz. He spoke in or twice with de Marcellus. Its own approach did not result however. But Lorenz took in December 2006 at a info. meeting of the “Dissent! ” - Network in the Espace Autogéré of Lausanne part.

Still more informer

Likewise toward at the end of of 2006 Lorenz traveled to Berne to a meeting to the preparation of actions to Davos. Contents of the meeting in the riding school it may not remember any longer. “I also hardly understood Swiss German.” It remained for it however that he is met finally a representative of the revolutionary structure. Also a person was present, who was previous described it of the intelligence service on the basis outward characteristics: “You said to me: ‹ that is ready to use force – surely against things, perhaps even against humans. ›”

Lorenz is sure itself that it must have given other informers beside him. “You showed me minutes of meetings and meeting invitations, to those the intelligence service otherwise have come could.” Proofs cannot it however.

In the clown army

Its next mission brought the Lorenz first to Zurich. The GSoA had called by email distributors to providing as clowns in army uniform disguised in Davos for irritations. In 26 January 2007 Lorenz in the occupied house “lime width” participated in Zurich in a preparation meeting. A then present person remembers him: “I thought: ‹ Wow, coolly, it comes even someone from Geneva. ›”

Lorenz got to know at the meeting the fact that tags do not adhere the clown army so called on it in Davos to the granted demonstration route but directly before the luxury hotels for Klamauk to provide wants. It announced this obligation-consciously to the DAP agent Marc. Despite its offer to stay overnight in a hotel Lorenz spent the night with AktivistInnen. On the next day the informer in services of the clown army made Davos uncertain.

In the summer 2007 the informant traveled with several hundred humans from whole Switzerland with a special train to Rostock. It should become its last mission. Lorenz stayed overnight generally speaking to camp of the G8-GegnerInnen. Agent Marc is also been in Rostock – however in the hotel. “I have myself twice met with him”, which however not was simple, it nevertheless excuses to invent had, so that its colleagues did not become distrustful of Attac. “At all: I could tell it little interesting. And all too motivated I was also not more.”

In Rostock a kind international one of the secret services seems to have appeared itself to the time: “There Frenchmen were there, Swiss were, etc. of everyone had its informants”, say the Lorenz. It met however only Marc.

Agent Provocateur

Such an informant flew up at the beginning of this yearly: The English policeman Mark of Kennedy, which had infiltrated left groups in England, Germany and other countries during at least seven years. At the G8-Gipfel in holy dam it was involved in blockades. An agent Provocateur. The Federal state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania asked expressly around the employment of a British Undercover agent, so “Spiegel online”.

“I was against it only a small fish”, say the Lorenz. And as a “small fish” it received 2500 francs for three days employment in Rostock. “Altogether I earned perhaps 10   000 francs.” The money was in each case bar handed out to him.

With the time it disturbed it that he had to supply information that its contact people would hardly somewhat have betrayed in response however. Apart from the fact one never trained it for its mission. “You did not say to me also, what for borders I had to consider, hardly gave me hints.”

And in such a way Lorenz terminated his career as an informer and dedicated themselves to its political science study from now on completely. It, which may analyze itself as linking designation (the “close FR and the Greens”) intelligence service work not in principle. It wants to pull however a final stroke under this chapter. “Therefore I announced myself to Attac. I do not want to drag like Günter Grass for many decades a secret with me.” He does not want to see its face and his name nevertheless in the newspaper. “I would like to be able to visit also times as a completely normal visitor a celebration in the riding school”, say he.

And which the spied on ones mean? Alessandro Pelizzari of Attac Geneva: “We have the requirement to be an open organization. Thus we accepted it also with open arms.” The fact that the group was infiltrated does not surprise Pelizzari. “However it surprises me that it was it. We were opposite never distrustful it.” It is not furious. “However it makes me nervous that we were at that time so naive and naive.” That democratic styles were limited by the state, experience it as a trade unionist in Geneva by the way continuously, say Pelizzari.

Andreas Cassee of the GSoA calls the informer employment “attack on the democratic culture”. It is important to be able to organize itself openly and basis-democratically. “Does the state State of distrust want to sow? Does it want that groups bulkhead themselves?”

Meanwhile the intelligence service of the federation would like to confirm nor disclaim – few surprisingly – “circumstances neither”. In principle answer the NDB no inquiries to “assumed operational activities”.

In Geneva however one disclaims: “Those Geneva police accomplished none ‹ infiltration › the group of Attac. There is no reason with view on the laws for internal security for our service to supervise this organization.”

Thus the among other things following questions remain openly: Why with Attac and the GSoA were groups sighted, which represent obviously no threat for internal security? On which law basis did the whole take place at all? Did Germany know of the employment in holy dam? And why does the state protection recruit young people on the break yard?

WOZ of 01.09.2011

j