Spycops conference set to expose injustice
Harvey Duke
Thanks to the tenacity of activists and a handful of journalists, the public scandal of police infiltration of campaigns and unions has not goneaway. Undercover police officers stole the identities of dead children, and deceived women activists into long term relationships to spy on them, and sought ‘dirt’ on justice campaigns for murdered black youth: these are the stuff of nightmares. Yet, all are real.
The official Public Inquiry into Undercover Policing was set up in March 2015 by Theresa May when she was Home Secretary. Now led by Sir John Mitting, it’s in crisis – after ignoring victims concerns and granting anonymity to police officers known to have infiltrated campaigns. This favouring of police excuses has been justified on the most bizarre grounds: that long-term married officers are unlikely to have committed any wrongdoing (they did), or officers are under threat from peaceful protesters (they’re not), and trained liars have easily convinced Mitting they never tell lies (they do). Only when activists and journalists have already revealed the cover names of spycops or the spycops have died does the inquiry reluctantly reveal a few cover names. https://www.ucpi.org.uk/
The ongoing attempts to cover up the activities of spycops have led to – walkouts from the inquiry; a high profile campaign by Lush to raise the need for a panel of experts to advise the inquiry; and efforts to have Northern Ireland and Scotland included in the Inquiry. At present, it’s limited to England and Wales. In Northern Ireland, Jason Kirkpatrick was granted a Judicial Review; and a further Judicial Review will be held in Edinburgh soon – brought by Tilly Gifford, asking for a review of decisions by both UK and Scottish governments to refuse to investigate spycops in Scotland, where several spycops like Mark Kennedy spied on G8 protesters and others.
This is the background to a one day event being organised in Glasgow. ‘Scotland, Surveillance and Spycops’ will be held in the Pearce Institute from 11.00 on Saturday, 23rdJune. It has been sponsored by the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/event/scotland-surveillance-spycops-glasgow/ ) and Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers.
Speaking in Glasgow are an array of activists who have been at the forefront of campaigning for a full Public Inquiry into the role played by spycops in Scotland. Speakers include:
Neil Findlay MSP – Neil led the 2 debates in the Scottish Parliament on Undercover Policing, rightly criticising an inadequate ‘review’: “The UK government refused to include Scotland in their inquiry and the Scottish government point blank refused to conduct a parallel Scottish inquiry and instead instructed HMICS (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for the Constabulary in Scotland) to hold a Review – effectively the Police inspecting the Police!” (from: https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2018/01/29/the-scandal-of-spycops-in-scotland/) Neil has also successfully led a campaign, with the National Union of Mineworkers, for a public investigation of the role of the police in Scotland in the miner’s strike of ’84-85.
Tilly Gifford – Environmentalist Tilly Gifford was targeted by Scottish police in 2009. Followed around Glasgow by two officers who tried to recruit her to spy on her friends, she turned the table on them and recorded their approach. Since then, she has campaigned tirelessly for a full public inquiry. She has been a main organiser for the conference in Glasgow alongside environmental campaigners, socialists, and trade unionists. (https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/apr/24/strathclyde-police-plane-stupid-recruit-spy )
Andrea (Police Spies Out of Our Lives) – The conference will hear from ‘Andrea’ (a pseudonym) a victim of spycops targeting, who will very bravely share her experience. “I was tricked into a long term relationship with the SDS (Special Demonstration Squad) officer I knew as Carlo Neri. “ (More on Andrea’s story: https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/our-stories/andreas-story/ ; and a profile of spycop Carlo Neri: http://powerbase.info/index.php/Carlo_Neri_(alias) )
Eveline Lubbers – Eveline Lubbers is a Research Fellow at the University of Bath, and an independent investigator with SpinWatch. She is the author of Secret Manoeuvres in the Dark, Corporate and Police spying on Activists (Pluto, 2012) and the initiator & contributing editor of Battling Big Business: Countering Greenwash, Front Groups and Other Forms of Corporate Bullying (2002). She will be speaking on behalf the Undercover Research Group which has been hugely more efficient at exposing spycops and supporting victims than the £10 million official inquiry. (See: https://secretmanoeuvres.org/ and http://undercoverresearch.net/ )
David Semple – PCS Scotland Chair (Speaking in a personal capacity). David chaired the first COPS public meeting in Glasgow in October 2016; and is keen to help expose spycops who are known to have infiltrated trade union picket lines and fed names to blacklists.
It is shaping up to be a well-attended and fascinating event, not to be missed by anyone interested in social justice in Scotland. Don’t miss it!
