Combating then FIT team.

Doug. | 08.03.2005 15:43 | London

The police are trying to intimidate you.

Combating the FIT team.

One of the techniques used by the London police to discourage radical politics is to photograph and video people on the street while they are attending legitimate meetings. This has the effect of discouraging the more timid from attending.

While watching an amusing and inspiring well acted Danish film on TV called ‘The Idiots’, in which a bunch of radicals revealed their ‘inner idiots’ in public to combat complacence about the subject of mental disability, I had a rush of inspiration. What if we turned up to meetings in wheelchairs or on foot pretending to be mentally disabled? As far as the general public are concerned it would look as if the police were targeting ‘spastics’. A definite no, no.

This would obviously involve a number of training sessions in which we could learn how to act out the challenging part of the mentally disabled, which would be much easier for some than others. Any thoughts?

Doug.

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

Don't Call Them Spastic...

08.03.2005 17:49

Alternatively, rather than such a poorly thought through idea, which seems to be having a laugh at the expense of the those with genuine disabilites, we could all just turn up with cameras ourselves, film and document the goons doing the same to us, and publish widely our 'findings', to make the point in a more intelligent (and less offensive to some) way that we will not be intimidated by camera wielding fools, be they state, or be they corporate press.

Alternatively, turn up in fancy dress!
Wouldn't they look foolish filming clowns, pirates and gorillas?!!

Another option is to learn the hook to "FIT and you know it" by The Streets and sing it to them every time you walk past them, to make it clear to them and everyone else in the vicinity that WE also know who THEY are!

Any other creative, subversive suggestions, anyone?

Spastic's Too Drastic

Any other creative, subversive suggestions, anyone?

08.03.2005 18:27

Yes.

Shit on them.

From a roof.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Oscar prize

08.03.2005 18:32

Let's them waste their time filming and photographing, do you really give a f***k?
I could't care any less

yuri

Civil Liberties? Wassat?

08.03.2005 19:44

To the above commentator.

Shame on you for not caring.

These things matter.

I take it that the notion of invasion of privacy and/or infringement of your civil liberties doesn't mean much to you..?

Because it should.

It may not seem like much, but, the fact that you can't even visit your own town centre or a public meeting without being videoed by some spook, either remotely via CCTV, or more directly by (un)FIT teamsis truly awful, as, I do remember a time in my own living memory when this WASN'T the case.
We have lost a little bit of freedom, and continue to do so with every new draconian misruling that this phoney government declares.

I geuss they never heard of Caligula.
Look what happened to him.

UNFIT and they know it.

you're rght

09.03.2005 11:18

I am the above the commnetator and I admit that my comment was ill worded, these FIT are just a bunch of thugs of the political British police, what I meant is that if we can't stop them filming then so let's be it...

yuri

So...?

09.03.2005 11:27

" I take it that the notion of invasion of privacy and/or infringement of your civil liberties doesn't mean much to you..? "

I dont think filming someone in a public place is an invasion of your freedom... I mean there is no guile about it, it's not covert, and you are free to film them back.

If we clamour for a society where restrictions are placed on filming/ photographing we are on a very slippery slope arent we?

As it is the police often tell me ' Stop filming or we will arrest you ', I always respond ' well arrest me then cos i can film ', no arrests yet.

My suggestion is make an exhibition of yourself for the police, make it all a good laugh as mentioned above (not too sure about pretending to be disabled). Let them know you want to be filmed and you disarm them.

A FIT operative recently confessed to me that he rarely had a tape in his camera anyway. It's all a tragic waste of PDX-10's and PD-170's if you ask me.

I am not sure but you probably also have a right under the data protection act to see the footage, so ask, it's only a tenner and you get some great home video to show your friends....

Zaskar
mail e-mail: mardwatson@blueyonder.co.uk
Homepage: http://www.zaskarfilms.com

wrong

09.03.2005 12:36

Filming back is a good defense I suppose, but you are wrong about the Data Protection Act you are definetely not entitled to see your political file as it is considered that that information can't be revealed because it is in the "state's security interest" and nobody except the police can see it.

yuri

Turn your lens on the FIT

09.03.2005 14:02

Undercurrents made a great film showing how the FIT team work and exposed their dodgy practise such as paying for info on activists. Pig Brother its called on www.undercurrents.org

Also Data protection act allows anyone to get the footage from CCTV and police cameras

joey

Think it through

10.03.2005 03:31

A couple of years ago I walked away from a demo in the city with several friends. we'd been spotted by fit from the outset and though the demo was as placid and low-key as any I'd seen, they nevertheless insisted on walking on our heels all round the town afterwards, with no attempt to conceal their smug glee. Said glee being enhanced by the severe physical disability of my friend's sister, who was in London on a short visit, and for whom even a brisk walking pace was out of the question. Splitting up was out as there was no way we'd just leave them to it. We got into a taxi, they got into a taxi and followed us. we went into the pub for a drink, they loitered outside covering every door. The woman in question also has a severe speech imediment which made her frustration and embarrassment all the worse for all of us. There was no question of us pulling off anything untoward on that day and they knew it. We were just easy pickings for a spot of bullying.

Never underestimate the depths they'll sink to. If anyone's interested, it was Inspector Matt Twist (Twisted Twat) who headed up that intrepid little sortie. Now there goes a very brave man, ladies and gents. Give him a medal.

To attempt to simulate this sort of thing with (presumably) amateur actors would be grossly insensitive, and would most likely descend into shambles and just seem like a joke in bad taste. The cops would cite it as proof of your sick, fanatical mentality and others would agree: giving the moral high ground to the dirty slime.

It's also entirely unnecessary to lay on such elaborate arrangements in order for the filth to exhibit such shameful behaviour. YOU DON'T HAVE TO FAKE IT! WHY THINK LIKE THEM?

arofish