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An account of Marco Jacobs' time in Brighton

19-01-2011 15:57

"Marco Jacobs" was active in Brighton
see  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/01/472363.html

Marco Jacobs was an undercover officer in Brighton in 2004/5

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Palestine Today 01 19 2011

19-01-2011 15:53

Audio
Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for Wednesday, January 19 2011

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Statement from Cardiff Anarchist Network (CAN) on the infiltration by Mark ‘Marc

19-01-2011 15:49

This is our response to the revelation that our group had been infiltrated by Mark Jocobs for four years.

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Thessaloniki 4 trial, update day #2

19-01-2011 15:22

Update from day #2 of the Court of Appeals of our four comrades in Thessaloniki, Greece. The day would be spent examining more police prosecution witnesses, including some policemen who had been involved in the arrest of Simon Chapman, and others who had arrested other demonstrators (not the Thessaloniki 4).

Background information at http://www.salonikisolidarity.org.uk/

by some attendants in solidarity

Monday 17 January 2011, 9am, Thessaloniki Courthouse.

The day would be spent examining more police prosecution witnesses, including some policemen who had been involved in the arrest of Simon Chapman, and others who had arrested other demonstrators (not the Thessaloniki 4).

The first 5 policemen each said they nothing of the case at trial - they had all arrested other people (not the current defendants) at the 21 June demonstration. They were examined on what is the normal procedure for taking an arrested person from the street to the police station for interrogation, and what would be done with anything found in their possession.

In each case, the idea was that where possible the arresting officer would take the arrested person and any items found in their possession in a police car and then to a police station, where the arresting officer would give their initial testimony and file a report of the arrestee's possessions.

In some cases where the arresting officer could not take the arrestee into the police station themselves, they would hand the person and their possessions over to an arrest team for delivery to a police station, and then give their testimony and sign documents later.

Police witness #6 had a slightly different role, as he was guarding the pre-interrogation team. However, he testified that lists of the names of the arrestees, their arresting officers and their possessions were made. Labels were improvised and stapled to the various rucksacks being brought in, which were stored securely. Arresting officers were not always present, but their names were logged.

Police witness #7 was a more challenging witness. He was part of the Athens-based riot squad which arrested Simon Chapman. He testified with absolute certainty, as he claimed (and same as all other members of the squad that arrested Simon) that Simon had thrown a molotov at his squad, that he had turned to run and had somehow slipped and fallen on to his back, thereby smashing a number of molotovs in the blue rucksack on his back.

Simon is accused to have been holding the black rucksack - containing 7 molotovs and two hammers - in his left hand, though when he fell and hurt himself he somehow managed not to break any in the black bag. As Simon was now covered in petrol from the broken bottles from the blue bag, the police thought it too dangerous to take it with them. They were ordered to move on to another position in Thessaloniki and took Simon with them for at least two hours of further confrontations with demonstrators, as there was no way to get him to police car for transfer to interrogation at a police station.

Police witness #7 was certain that no officers had hit Simon: any blood on him must have been come from an injury caused either by falling over, or perhaps by being hit by a stone thrown for other demonstrators, or maybe Simon fell on his face and then fell on his back. Simon's defense lawyer, Christos Bakelas, pointed out that none of this information appeared in this witness' testimony until after himself and the arresting riot squad had reviewed the rather embarrassing video tapes in November 2003.

Police witness #7 stated that his squad had moved many bags and weapons found in the street, so that they could not be used by any counter-attacking demonstrators. The earlier police witnesses (1-5) had all been asked if they had moved items from the street themselves, and they had all said they had not, as that was the job of another police team (see the report from day 1 of the trial).

Police witness #7 is the cop in the live TV footage who walks up to the TV camera and presents the contents of a black rucksack to be filmed. He presents a hammer to the film crew and puts it in the black bag, and then carries it over to where Simon is sitting and places it next to him.

Police witness #8 was questioned next, again largely about the arrest and custody procedure, as outlined for police witnesses 1-5. He was questioned on how or why the blue bag was never logged at the time of the arrest or when Simon was taken in to the police station. He said conditions were difficult that day.

Police witness #9 was the last for the day and was also part of the Athens riot squad that arrested Simon. He repeated all the same story about how they could supposedly "clearly identify" Simon as the person who threw the molotov at them, how he fell on his back, how they didn't know where all that blood came from, how he was most definitely not beaten. This was a little strange because this policeman was the one in the Reuters photo putting his boot into Simon's face.

This witness said he did not kick Simon, that he was just holding him still with his foot because his hands were full (of tear gas canisters). He was offended at all the outrageous lies reported in the media about Simon, as police were wholly concerned for his safety. He admitted reviewing the videos with the rest of the team before making his first statement in November 2003.

One of the last questions for this police witness was one of the most interesting: witness #9 said that there was a strong odour of petrol coming from the blue bag. He was asked if he took his gas mask off at any point during the day. He had not. So the question was pursued: if police witness #9 had his gas mask on at the time, how could he have detected the odour of petrol, given that a gas mask should filter out gases such as petrol fumes? No satisfactory answer was given.

Court ended at 15.12 GMT+2.

++ Spread the word

Please link to the Campaign's website on your web sites, forums, blogs, facebook profiles etc, tell friends and family and help to spread the word. Join and share the facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Justice-For-Simon-Chapman-and-the-Thessaloniki-4/113450595384764

or join and share the facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=150278698345263

Solidarity for the Thessaloniki 4!
http://www.salonikisolidarity.org.uk/

Films on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheThessaloniki4

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helestine visits advanced manufacturing death park

19-01-2011 12:03

Lordy Lord Helseltine the old wrinkly had a party with his chums at the Advanced Manufacturing (Death) Park last week...

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Thessaloniki 4 trial, update day #1

18-01-2011 19:52

Greek riot pig 'Keeps Simon still with his foot'
What follows is the first in a series of updates that will cover the Court of Appeals of our four comrades in Thessaloniki, day by day. The first day of court was Friday 14 January 2011...

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Officer "B" Marco Jacobs- further info and photos

18-01-2011 19:22

Further photos of undercover officer who infiltrated anarchist and other political groups in Cardiff and South Wales were published on FIT Watch today

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Palestine Today 11 18 2010

18-01-2011 16:46

Audio
Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for Tuesday , January 18 2011

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Forced heavy handed eviction of University of Birmingham occupiers

18-01-2011 15:53

Last night students determined to remain in occupation and create an area for free and constructive debate, where removed by excessive force by university security assist by the police.

I’m proud to say the student involved, remained peaceful in spite of personal injuries and very distressing scenes.

This report is compiled by testimonies of a UCU representative present and three students who are pressing charges of assault but, wish to remain unnamed for now.

During the period 18:30-19:00 students were removed from the maths-physics bridge, where on their first day back at university they had immediately re-occupied the university.

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UG#534 - The Lightbulb Conspiracy (Planned Obsolescence, Bottled Water etc.)

18-01-2011 08:45

Audio
Did you know that in Livermore, California a bulb has been lit constantly since 1901 and is still going strong? This week's headline piece is a radio adaptation of The Lightbulb Conspiracy, a film about how the first international cartel not only increased prices but to decreased the lifetime of lightbulbs. We also hear Juliet Schor on overproduction and radio adaptations of Annie Leonard's The Story of Bottled Water, The Story of Cosmetics and The Story of Stuff, plus Heather Rogers' The Hidden Life of Garbage.

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Three undercover political Police unmasked as infiltrators into UK Anarchist, Anti-Fascist and Climate Justice movements.

18-01-2011 00:14

PC Mark Kennedy (AKA "Mark Stone"), "Lyn Watson" and "Mark Jacobs"
We have reposted with updates and corrections, this has many changes from previous post!

please flag up any mistakes and we will up date in 24 hours or so. We still need more factual information about their activities. The purpose of this post/thread is to create as clear a picture of the infiltrators as possible for activists worldwide.

If you wish to post about the bourgeois press then please post here.  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/01/472102.html

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Palestine Today 11 17 2010

17-01-2011 16:58

Audio
Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for Monday, January 17 2011

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Report of Smash EDO surprise demo to commemorate the Gaza massacre

17-01-2011 16:28

This morning , Monday 17th January, a small group of us held a surprise noise demo at EDO MBM to tell the arms dealers what we think of them.

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Wood Group PLC to build power plant in Israel

17-01-2011 11:25

Some of you may already be aware of the ongoing situation in Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland recently.

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Jan 15th Reports of Anti-War Actions taken on the Anniversary of this 20 Year On

17-01-2011 10:50

- White House, Whitehall, London, Dublin, Menwith Hill, Wellington, Christchurch, Brisbane
***VID (3 mins 14 secs) 100 folks vigil outside the White House at 7 pm Saturday Jan 15th. (Martin Luther King Day in the United States midnight London, Dublin,), the exact prime time for U.S television that the 20 year ongoing war on Iraq began Jan 15 1991.
 http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/150784/index.php

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Preston Against Cuts: 100 rally on Flagmarket

16-01-2011 23:41

100 people rallied against the Condem coalition cuts on Preston Flagmarket yesterday. 'This could be the start of something big'

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Public Meeting on Zionism

16-01-2011 23:22

Monthly meeting of the Bristol Palestine Solidarity Campaign
7.30 – 10.00pm upstairs at Hamilton House, Stokes Croft (opp Jamaica Street) Bristol BS2
Public Meeting on Zionism
Speaker: Local B-PSC member Naomi Woodspring
Meeting will include section of the film on Norman Finkelstein (American Radical)
See trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hO_0byNexA


ALSO
a chance to meet and hear Palestinian UN workers from the West Bank who are visiting Bristol as special guests of the Easton Cowboys/girls Community Sports Club
All welcome. FFI www.bristolpsc.info

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400 march against the cuts in Portsmouth

16-01-2011 19:36

Yesterday, 400 people marched across Portsmouth in response to the savage cuts being made by the government.

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Notts students protest EMA cuts

16-01-2011 10:23

Notts students have come back from their Christmas break ready for action. This time it’s the turn of students in Further Education who are angry about the Con-Dem decision to scrap the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

On Thursday, students walked out of their schools and colleges before marching to the Conservative Party offices in King Edward Court where they tried to get the attention of party workers. One student was arrested for criminal damage but was later released with a fixed penalty notice. Students marched to the police station to call for his release. A second protest was held on Saturday in the Market Square.

Newswire: Nottingham Students Protest Against Scrapping EMA | Nttm Students visit Conservative Party HQ – Demo | Nttm Students visit Conservative Party HQ – Detained | Nttm Students another Protest Against ScrappingEMA

Previous features: Nottingham students protest cuts | Notts Occupation Ends; Resistance Continues

Meeting in the Market Square Nottingham at 3.00pm on Tuesday 11th January, School and College Student gathered to protest at the Scrapping of the Educational Maintenance Allowance. Students had earlier walked out at 2.00pm.

Nottingham Students Protested against scrapping the Educational Maintenance Allowance. I understand that the government plan to do this in September this year.

A rally was held in the square, before a tour round the block to take in the usual suspects like Vodafone and Boots, with much shouting of “pay your Taxes etc”.

Later, folks headed off to the Conservative HQ Offices at:

Conservative Party Office
1 King Edward Court,
Nottingham
NG1 1EW

For those that don’t know.

They weren’t expected and the gates to the compound there were open. People banged on the door, rang the bell etc, to try and get someone to talk about the issue. There was no answer :-) It was noted that there was a painting of Margret Thatcher, adorning the foyer causing many remarks! Many folks at other office windows were smiling and seeming to enjoy the demo as a spectacle.

The situation was good humored until one young lad was detained for, I think criminal damage, although i saw none. Folks then returned there to demand his release. Police were called and it is believed he was taken to Bridewell police Station, leaving via another entrance.

Video: Nttm Students visit Conservative Party HQ – Demo

Video: Nttm Students visit Conservative Party HQ – Detained

Demo then went back through town, visiting another Vodafone store, and having a bit of a sit-in.

+++++

The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a means-tested allowance of between £10 and £30, paid to 16- to 19-year-olds who stay on in education.

Rolled out nationally in September 2004, EMA is intended to help with the cost of books, travel, equipment or anything useful to the continuation of learning. It’s paid straight into the pupil’s bank account, not their parents or their college, giving them independence and forcing them to take charge of a small weekly budget. The payments are under the condition that they attend classes regularly. If the pupil works hard or achieves good grades, there is the opportunity to earn bonuses.

EMA is available to 16-19 year olds who come from low income families and whose household’s net income is below £30,000 pa. There is an additional grant for those students from families household income is up to and below £20,000 pa. EMA currently exists all across the UK although the administering of it is devolved to the regional parliaments of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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Wrexham marks Gulf War anniversary

16-01-2011 09:31

flyer
The first bombing raid of the Gulf War was launched on Iraq 20 years ago. In Wrexham, members of Wrexham Peace & Justice Forum and supporters organised a stall in the town centre on Saturday with a display of information about the effects of war and sanctions on Iraqi children over the last 20 years.