John Catt had appealed against the retention of data on him by the National Domestic Extremism Database. Today he lost his appeal.
It is no surprise to us that the courts have backed police attempts to counteract effective resistance to state-militarism and to corporate power.
However, today's court judgement effectively legitimises the monitoring and surveillance of anyone who takes part in protests, or raises their voice against the manufacture of weapons at EDO.
Lord Justice Gross's judgement states that Mr Catt's involvement in the campaign, for which he has never been convicted of a crime, "belies any reasonable expectation of privacy, at least for the duration of the Smash EDO campaign."
Gross goes on to justify the judgement by giving the example of the £300,000 worth of damage caused to the factory's production line during Israel's massacre in Gaza. He omits to mention that those responsible for the damage were found not-guilty by a jury on the basis that they had acted to prevent war crimes.
The campaign against EDO MBM will continue until the factory's manufacture of weapons components in Brighton ceases.
However, today's court judgement effectively legitimises the monitoring and surveillance of anyone who takes part in protests, or raises their voice against the manufacture of weapons at EDO.
Lord Justice Gross's judgement states that Mr Catt's involvement in the campaign, for which he has never been convicted of a crime, "belies any reasonable expectation of privacy, at least for the duration of the Smash EDO campaign."
Gross goes on to justify the judgement by giving the example of the £300,000 worth of damage caused to the factory's production line during Israel's massacre in Gaza. He omits to mention that those responsible for the damage were found not-guilty by a jury on the basis that they had acted to prevent war crimes.
The campaign against EDO MBM will continue until the factory's manufacture of weapons components in Brighton ceases.
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Gross Travesty
30.05.2012 15:24
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no worries
31.05.2012 10:10
Anyone can photograph, monitor and record any man or beast in an open space can they not?
We just have to step up our monitoring of them, create dada bases on the policy force, where they live, their families and friends, etc. to mach their data bases on us.
It's all cool!
anarchist
name change suggestion
31.05.2012 20:48
That is a fair point. Maybe if you rename the group from "SmashEDO" to "MonitorEDO", they would be a little less wary of what you were up to?
idea's man