London Indymedia

Policing FIT for "serious and sustained" terror?

Terrified Thomas | 13.07.2007 23:41 | Repression | Terror War | London

"[But]our services and police do a heroic job for our country day in day out and I can say that over the past years, as this particular type of new and awful terrorist threat has grown, they have done their utmost to keep this country and its people safe.As I saw again from the meeting of COBR this morning, their determination to get those responsible is total." Tony Blair 11 July 2005

...but I eventually got a portrait of all their unhappy faces
...but I eventually got a portrait of all their unhappy faces


In the aftermath of the discovery of "potentially viable devices" in London on Friday 29th June, 2007, the Metropolitian Polices' Forward Intelligence Team (FIT), under the command of the Commisioner's Office, utilised its resources to cope with what the new Home Secretary described as "the most serious and sustained threat to our security from international terrorism", by sending out teams of cops to photograph attendees at publicly advertised open meetings.

In the aftermath of the Glasgow incident which involved a burning doctor and his SUV, COBRA raised the UK's security alert to critical, the highest level. The Met celebrated this by sending the FIT team to photograph a picnic in Cambridge

In addition to photographing attendees at the Disarm DSEi meeting at ULU, another FIT posse was seen outside rampARTs on the Saturday morning, snapping attendees of the No Borders meeting. That same team was later spotted at Gay Pride, where it is reported they snapped pictures of marchers who jeered the BNP, and then watched the BNP abuse their own colleagues on the Gay Police Association float.

It has become standard practice to see FIT outside Disarm DSEi meetings, and their presence has not prevented disruption of previous Arms Fairs, nor has it led to any significant arrests or convictions. In light of this, if Blair's words contained any truth, it would be reasonable to expect that they might have forgone their ritual harrassment of activists against death fairs, deportations and dangerous crops, and focussed on "getting those responsible" for the London and Glasgow events instead . That it was business as usual says a whole lot about their real priorities. Tactics designed to deter protest against the interests of big business and the racist state remained a priority, even as their political masters and the lackey corporate media bigged up the so-called "Terror" allegedly brought about by inept and angry medical staff.

Everyone knows that Blair is a serial liar, and the overhyped claims about terror seem less credible as the priorities of the Commissioner's Office and its FIT team remained unchanged despite the bleatings of Jacqui Smith. That the terror level was dropped to severe again before the questioning of the suspects was even completed seems bizarre. If they were that sure they had the culprits, why haven't more people been charged?

Something is fishy about this whole Terror spectacle.

P.S. The GM crops still got trashed!

Terrified Thomas
- Homepage: http://fitwatch.blogspot.com/

Comments

Hide the following 8 comments

Resistance to FIT Team

14.07.2007 00:45

The amount of anti fit posts that have appeared here over the last month have been heartening. Long may it continue.

However we need to start acting in solidarity with each other, we need to build networks and we need stand together to say we won't stand for this anymore. We must not let them harass and abuse another person. We must not let this happen. It is as fundamental as any other cause we are fighting.

Together we are strong...

Anti fit


It was only a matter of time...

14.07.2007 11:16


It was only a matter of time before the the state's definition of 'terrorist' began to include
ordinary members of the public who stand for peace and social justice.

Fitzpatrick


Further to the previous post.

14.07.2007 14:53

If the following is anything to go by, this has already happened:

 http://www.netcu.org.uk/default.jsp

Bob


A long history

14.07.2007 14:56

Although Fitzpatrick, this is really just a further development of Thatcher's regime when anti-nuke CND protestors were targeted for Grade A harassment treatment.

This latest wave of FIT is really just building upon Blair's political inheritance from Maggie! In a truly Orwellian twist, peace activists are renamed as enemies of the state! Mind you, considering what the state is up to, we should all be proud of being considered as enemies of the state.

upon reflection


Surely they're sending themselves up?

15.07.2007 12:58

If you go to the NECTU site,  http://www.netcu.org.uk/default.jsp you'll read the following banner introduction to their service:

"The National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU) promotes a coordinated response to domestic extremism by providing tactical advice to the police service, and information and guidance to industry and government."

But the accompanying picture shows these brave sleuths policing a bunch of clowns.

You couldn't make it up.

mini mouse


Counterrevs Must Be Watched

16.07.2007 15:44

The FIT team obviously don't see the BNP as a threat, probably as neo-Nazi groups such as the BNP are fellow counter-revolutionaries. Many people believe the clown they call Nick Griffin is funded by the state, to help spread the necessary Islamophobia, necessary, to shore up the War On Terror. Thus the government helped the Nick Griffin trial collapse, and the Robert Cottage terror trial fiasco, where many charges were dropped to protect the BNP from scandal.

Environental acticists pose no threat to public safety, and yet, we are being watched daily by Big Brother.

The police in Italy have behaved in a similar way for decades, with specialist anti-riot and anti-terror units in collusion with neo-fascists.

Similar things happen in France, with anti-riot brigades targetting working class and non-white people from the urban areas of Paris with daily harrassment.

Anyone remember the way the Italian police treated demonstrators at the G8 several years ago?

Whoever's in power, the elite secret policemen are always in the shadows, while the genuine rank and file beat officers are kept in the dark.

Thanks Indymedia for exposing fascist collusion within the FIT team.

Cyberpunt


Would have thought that an 'illegal war of aggression'....

30.08.2007 19:47

... (in terms of internationl law)...that has resulted in at least 1/2 million deaths would fit a definition of 'terrorism'. But (tired sigh), that is not of course, the way that the mainstream 'game' works. People need to be able to see through the government perverts 'games', and thus to wake up fully as human beings and feel able to resist the bullying of this 'official BNP' gang. For this we need to give each other support and solidarity...in the face of the fear illusion that the ritual abusers create, other wise known as 'babylon vampire system'.

Greenman


Yes cyberpunk you're onto something...

30.08.2007 19:51

I do find it slightly incredible that the Cymru allow the BNP perv to live in peace in his farm near that Welsh village, whilst the slightest hint of a 'new age traveller' gets them larthered up in a froth. Maybe its because hes a landowner, maybe what?! what the fuck Welsh, just where the fuck are you at? Not with Owain thats for sure :(

Tribal anarchist


Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

London Topics

Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

London IMC

Desktop

About | Contact
Mission Statement
Editorial Guidelines
Publish | Help

Search :