Class War - Bash The Rich - FIT Watch

03/11/07: Video of FIT Watch at work on the Class War Protest in Notting Hill, London.

Video ClassWar_FITWatch.wmv - video/x-ms-wmv 18M

Following years of these Forward Intelligence Teams being on every protest, taking photos and video of demonstrators, the FIT Watch team have been fighting back in their own way with tactics as simple as a small piece of black cloth. The retaliation of the FIT is not unexpected for anyone who's been in their presence over the last few years.

But one question has to be asked here, other than how much money are these teams costing, or how much money are they wasting, documenting everything from peace protests to anarchist marches, documenting and harassing journalists who follow protest scenes - and no your comments and idle chat are not funny in any way shape or form - what exactly is their point and purpose?

And what happens to all the "evidence"? (I use that word extremely loosely). Does it all just go in the bin or is it being kept? Or is this all just intimidation to scare less active people away from public protest and dissent?

I am free to be hired to show the FIT how to use their equipment properly. After seeing some of your footage, boys, you really need to compose better. But my daily rates will be top whack for you lot. I'm a bit particular who I work with.

And shaky hands isn't the word I'm looking for, but it is the first word that comes to mind.

OB

Oscar Beard

Additions

FIT team on the Save NHS demo

06.11.2007 00:55

FIT officers on Save the NHS demo

The Police Forward Intelligence Team turned out as well to photo and video protesters on the 7000 strong march to Save the NHS, which also took place last Saturday. They seemed particularly fixated with getting pics of the samba. Maybe it was the samba's sexy doctors, nurses and cleaners outfits or maybe the drummers are a threat to capitalism or the national security in the minds of these guardians of the public order. Or maybe they just get their kicks from trying to intimidate peaceful protesters?

Whichever it may be, the one in the flat hat got extremely flustered when protesters responded by taking pictures and filming him and his colleague, and so he started lashing out and shoving people around.

usual suspects

Fitwatching

06.11.2007 11:56

The 'girl in black' didnt really want to get nicked. But neither was the 'girl in black' just prepared to be calmly compliant when the police were herding us like cattle. Why the hell should she? Why the hell should any of us?

Fitwatch is about confronting police who are filming and photographing us. One of the key purposes of such filming is control. The police use the fact that people who know they are being watched are easier to control, are more nervous of stepping out of line, are more likely to do what they are told.

Effectively obstructing police filming isn't easy. Cameramen are usually accompanied by a good number of TSG whose job it is to stop anyone getting close. Fitwatchers are very 'visible' and get shoved around a lot. The more people do it, the more effective it will be, and, I think, the easier it will be. The possibility that people may stop tolerating police cameras, and confront them instead, is worrying the police enormously.

The girl in black was being bloody belligerent. Perhaps too much so. But she had been shoved around by not-so-gentle cops for pretty much the duration of the demo, and it's a very human thing for frustration to mount and tempers to fray.

And anyway, maybe a bit more bloody belligerence is what we need.

Girl in black
Homepage: http://www.fitwatch.blogspot.com

Comments

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The purpose was what?

05.11.2007 21:25

This demo seemed rather silly. The police were going to be unfavourable to those on a demo called 'Bash The Rich'. The girl in black clearly wanted to get nicked there's always one. Surely a demonstration is to show and represent something. For a laugh I can understand a day like this. I guess it is somewhere to go with your Special Brew but it's achievment?

Tom

well done FITwatchers

07.11.2007 15:48

Well done to the people who were brave enough to confront the FIT. Its people like them that will make demos safer and more enjoyable for everyone. If only everyone had their courage.

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Class War - Bash The Rich - FIT Watch

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FIT team on the Save NHS demo

Fitwatching

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The purpose was what?

well done FITwatchers

Kollektives

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