Burlsem trotters have nothing better to do
Anarchoneilist | 19.02.2012 22:47 | Policing | Repression
I write on behalf of myself and all others in this country and around the world who suffer harrasment for their political beliefs.
My story started Thursday ( 9th Feb) on recieving a note from Staffordshire Police, specifically 'Community Resilience Team North'.
I had no idea what the note was about, I have not commited any crimes nor have I considered or planned to commit any crimes or incited others to do so. After several attempts to get through to the officer named on the card I eventually got through last Saturday and arranged a visit the following Monday.
Still not knowing what this was all about, on arrival in my property on Monday (13th Feb, 10am) morning two officers asked me what I and my associates had been up to recently.
I am a part of the wider and local anarchist movement and the officers seemed strangely concerned that this would somehow scare or 'terrorise' the wider community. Basically I had a visit from the police because of my political beliefs, police time which could ahve been spent reasurring people that anrarchy does not equal chaos!
My political beliefs are non-violent, non-coercive and frankly none of the police or anyone else's business, but the visit left me quite nervous. It doesn't help that I suffer from anxiety which may have been brought up or noticed during a previous 'encounter' with the local filth in Newcastle-under-Lyme Weatherspoons towards the end of last year. The assumption being that presumably I would be easier to intimidate and so I was 'targeted' so to speak for a personal visit.
I may not agree with the majority of the population on a variety of issues but this does not mean that people should allow fear and ignorance to rule their lives, neither does this give the media and the state the right to perpetuate fear and ignorance. Frankly, the government and the police are the real terrorists by allowing a climate of fear of the unknown and of minorities to dominate the political discourse.
Maybe the police should arrest Melanie Phillips for inciting Anders Brevik, or David Blunkett for encouraging racism by scapegoating asylum seekers? I should add that if people feel intimidated by people having different beliefs to them then maybe they should get a grip and get out of the little ideological ghetto they have allowed themselves to be put in. Its also a shame that Burslem police have nothing better to do or any meaningful hobbies beyond petty harrasment.
There is little difference in reality between democratic and non-democratic systems, all perpetuate themeselves so long as a majority of the people feel safe and secure and it is always minorities who are targeted: the government can oppress some of the people some of the time but it cannot oppress all the people all of the time.
btw copper in quesion PC 3943 Simon Fynney, cannot remember the other individual's name. Do have a mobie for the first so please feel free to excercise your freedom of speech! 07976 297651
I had no idea what the note was about, I have not commited any crimes nor have I considered or planned to commit any crimes or incited others to do so. After several attempts to get through to the officer named on the card I eventually got through last Saturday and arranged a visit the following Monday.
Still not knowing what this was all about, on arrival in my property on Monday (13th Feb, 10am) morning two officers asked me what I and my associates had been up to recently.
I am a part of the wider and local anarchist movement and the officers seemed strangely concerned that this would somehow scare or 'terrorise' the wider community. Basically I had a visit from the police because of my political beliefs, police time which could ahve been spent reasurring people that anrarchy does not equal chaos!
My political beliefs are non-violent, non-coercive and frankly none of the police or anyone else's business, but the visit left me quite nervous. It doesn't help that I suffer from anxiety which may have been brought up or noticed during a previous 'encounter' with the local filth in Newcastle-under-Lyme Weatherspoons towards the end of last year. The assumption being that presumably I would be easier to intimidate and so I was 'targeted' so to speak for a personal visit.
I may not agree with the majority of the population on a variety of issues but this does not mean that people should allow fear and ignorance to rule their lives, neither does this give the media and the state the right to perpetuate fear and ignorance. Frankly, the government and the police are the real terrorists by allowing a climate of fear of the unknown and of minorities to dominate the political discourse.
Maybe the police should arrest Melanie Phillips for inciting Anders Brevik, or David Blunkett for encouraging racism by scapegoating asylum seekers? I should add that if people feel intimidated by people having different beliefs to them then maybe they should get a grip and get out of the little ideological ghetto they have allowed themselves to be put in. Its also a shame that Burslem police have nothing better to do or any meaningful hobbies beyond petty harrasment.
There is little difference in reality between democratic and non-democratic systems, all perpetuate themeselves so long as a majority of the people feel safe and secure and it is always minorities who are targeted: the government can oppress some of the people some of the time but it cannot oppress all the people all of the time.
btw copper in quesion PC 3943 Simon Fynney, cannot remember the other individual's name. Do have a mobie for the first so please feel free to excercise your freedom of speech! 07976 297651
Anarchoneilist
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20.02.2012 01:57
Have the Staffordshire Police also published stuff like this?
flashback
thanks
20.02.2012 16:15
Dont have the details of what happened to you obviously, and your experience may be very different to what I describe below. But we have documented a number of such visits to people the police consider to be 'vulnerable to extremism'. Individuals concerned may be people they have noticed themselves on demonstrations, or may be individuals referred to the police from 'community partners' such as university / college teachers or voluntary organisations. This sort of intervention seems to be targeted on those who are judged to be 'on the periphery' of 'extremist' groups, or those under 18. They seem to view it as protecting young / vulnerable people from something akin to sexual grooming.
'community resilience' or 'community cohesion', or sometimes 'community safety' are areas in which the governments PREVENT strategy operates, otherwise known as PVE Preventing Violent Extremism. Once aimed almost exclusively at Muslims, it now targets any political activity that is, on their definition, 'extremist'. This appears to include anarchist groups, although the bulk of their activity is probably still directed at radical or militant Muslims.
We at Netpol - the network for police monitoring are attempting to monitor the use of these tactics against activists. We understand that this is a sensitive area, but if anyone has been approached in this way, and would like to share that information with us, anonymously if you like, we would be very grateful.
[for those who dont know, Netpol is a coalition of activists and community based groups, set up to monitor the behaviour of police from a critical perspective. Netpol partners include Fitwatch, GBC, LDMG, Newham Monitoring Project, CAMPACC and Aldermaston Womens Peace Camp.]
Val
e-mail:
info@networkforpolicemonitoring.org.uk
Homepage:
www.netpol.org.uk