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Sunday 28 October 2007

Bash the Rich: Fight the FIT

Bash the Rich: Fight the FIT
Meet 11:30, Bar area of Royal Festival Hall to discuss tactics and actions.

Forward Intelligence Teams (FIT) will be out in force for this one and wewill be there to greet them.

Whilst we allow the FIT teams to film and follow; stop and search; controland coral, we will not have successful public actions. When we start refusing and resisting, we will start to win.
This is a call from FIT Watch activists to join us on 3rd and show the FIT Teams we will oppose their intimidatory tactics.

Thursday 11 October 2007

Monday 10th September - FIT at ExCeL

A selection of FIT who followed two people, stop and searched them and then wrongfully arrested another one for breach of bail conditions.











FH585















Inspecter from FIT team.

















Another camera man - not sure who - any ideas?














FIT following someone on the bus - think they're getting a bit camera shy.






FH(?)51 - he always has one letter missing) - He is scum - violent and vindictive.




Tuesday 9 October 2007

FIT at Stop the War march

Saw a few new faces/numbers at the Stop the War march in London yesterday (Monday 8th). As there's quite a few pics (16) thought it probably easier to upload them to a dedicated album rather than overburden this page. So they're here.

Will update the "DataTrak" spreadsheet later on (hopefully this evening).

Sunday 7 October 2007

PUT THE FIT TEAM ON TRIAL - call for solidarity and resistance

PUT THE FIT TEAM ON TRIAL - Call for solidarity and resistance
9th October, Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court, 9am

In April, two people were arrested outside a DISARM DSEi public meetingfor obstructing a FIT team who were filming people going to the meeting.

Amongst those giving evidence will be one of FIT Watch favourites, CO2558,Steve Discombe.

Come on 9th and show we will no longer allow the police to harass andintimidate us. We will fight back and we will win.
defycops@yahoo.co.uk
http://www.fitwatch.blogspot.com/



XB91 was on FIT duty with our old friend Steve Discombe at a recent demo in Crawley. For someone who works for the FIT, XB91 is surprisingly intolerant of having his picture taken. Within twenty minutes or so of being followed and photographed he had reacted with surprising violence. He had shoved, shouted, threatened arrest and twice tried to pull my camera from my hand. The ‘red mist’ effect was so noticeable that his commanding officer had to pull him off street duty.

So, XB91, it’s not nice, is it, being constantly photographed and followed around? Having no privacy, no space to make a phone call or have a conversation that isn’t being listened to?

The difference is that activists are often subjected to this type of harassment not just for a few minutes, but for hours and sometimes days at a time. And if we react with even a hint of the violent behaviour you used, we’d be arrested and facing section 4 and assault charges.

So, XB91, here’s a deal. We recognise that it isn’t a nice experience, being placed under ‘surveillance’. So I’ll leave you alone in future – as long as FIT extends the same courtesy to us political activists. I’ll be keenly awaiting your response…

Friday 5 October 2007

The following is a press release that I will be putting out in advance of the first Fitwatch trial next Tuesday. Please forward widely. Anyone who has nothing better to do and wants to turn up on the day is more than welcome.


Cardiff-based political activist Val Swain, 42, to challenge police harassment at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on Tuesday 9 October.

Ms Swain is charged with obstructing a police cameraman who was filming people arriving at a meeting held on 28 April 2007 at the University of London Union on Malet Street. The meeting had been called to voice protest at the holding of Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEI) in London Docklands, the world’s largest arms fair.

Val Swain will argue that such intrusive filming is unlawful:

“It is unacceptable in any sort of free society that police are permitted to build up secret files on people who attend political meetings. So far the police have refused to disclose exactly what they have done with all these photographs, or why they wanted photos of people attending a public meeting in the first place. They have also refused to disclose the extent of the police file that has been built up on me over the years. Unless they are prepared to come clean over all this, I will argue, they cannot possibly begin to justify the intrusion of privacy that has taken place. And without that justification, what they have done, and continue to do, is unlawful.”

Swain went on to say:

“I think I have a very good case. But even if I win, I cannot see an end to political intimidation now that the New Labour government has handed over so much power to the police and intelligence services. And it is because we cannot rely on the protection of the law that FITWATCH was born earlier this year. Now activists are playing the police at their own game, filming officers and posting their photos along with name, rank and number to a rapidly expanding website. Activists can download spotter cards to help them identify forward intelligence team (FIT) members and take appropriate action. And activists can share their experiences of police intimidation. Now when we hold meetings we will do everything we can to stop intrusive police filming. No longer will we ignore these attacks on our fundamental rights to freedom of expression. Enough is enough.”

For more information contact Val on val.swain@yahoo.co.uk

And visit http://www.fitwatch.blogspot.com/

Thursday 4 October 2007

Travels with his camera - 1818





This cop from South Yorkshire Police must be the most travelled of the FIT, having been spotted in Nottingham at Heckler & Koch, Oxford at SPEAK demos, across London for Climate Camp, DSEi and No Borders Camp, and now here at Faslane on 1st October with his new friend (2235) from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (aka RUC) who was also with him in Crawley for the No Borders march.

Zaffer Mughal

Following my last post I’ve been informed that Zaffer Mughal has also used two numbers. Apparently he masquerades as both ID14 and HX38.

Wednesday 3 October 2007

Ian Skivens

Noticed that Ian Skivens (a well-known FIT officer) has been spotted with two different numbers: LX365 and CO5494. Any thoughts, anyone?