UKIMC - Sheffield - Repression

Support the Antifascist Prisoners

In a miscarriage of justice reminiscent of the Ratcliffe case, six antifascist are currently being held in Wormwood Scrubs and one is on bail after being found guilty of "conspiracy to commit violent disorder". The first trial, of 11 of the 22 activists facing this absurd charge, ended on 28th June 2011 with four people being acquitted, four sentenced immediately to 21 months in jail, two others sent to prison awaiting sentencing, and the other released on bail pending sentence. A second trial of the 11 other activists is threatened to start on 12th September 2011.

The incident that led to police raids across the country and 23 arrests occurred on 28th March 2009 when a number of antifascist activists travelled to Welling in south-east London to protest against a neo-Nazi "Blood and Honour" skinhead gig at the Duchess of Edinburgh Pub. No fascists have been arrested or charged or have even appeared as witnesses in the court case and in the absence of any evidence forthcoming from the fascists the Police and Crown Prosecution Service spent a vast amount of time and resources to press charges which are tantamount to a thought crime and if widely applied would in effect make it illegal to organise protests against fascist events. The use of "conspiracy" charges against large groups of activists — charging them for things that might have thought about rather than charging them for anything they have actually done is clearly being done to suit a political agenda which involves the draconian repression of progressive activists, no doubt intended as a "deterrent" to others. While at the same time real corporate criminal conspiracies are covered up and swept under the carpet, contrast the treatment of the activists with the kid-glove treatment by the state of the Murdoch media crime family, as the collusion between powerful media, corrupt police and the political establishment is further exposed.

Massive Protests Expected at the Liberal Democrats Spring Conference in Sheffield

Sheffield Indymedia | 01-03-2011 00:15 | Public sector cuts | Repression | Sheffield

Sheffield City Centre has been turned into a virtual police state from 11th till the 13th March, as the Liberal Democrats converge on the City for their annual spring conference. The Sheffield Telegraph reported that there will be a six foot security fence, but now it's erected it's clearly higher (2.5m). The Sheffield Star has reported that there will be 1,000 police officers defending the conference with plans to use riot gear and kettling if necessary, at a cost of £2 million. Activists have reported Police surveillance in the run-up to the conference and there are section 14 and section 12 restrictions on freedom of movement in place from the Police. The official conference webpage links to the agenda and papers and delegates information, party members are registering at the Millennium Gallery, fringe meetings are taking place in the City Hall, Mercure St Paul’s Hotel, Jurys Inn and Leopold Hotel, see the listings for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The police initially told the media that they were expecting between 2,500 and 3,000 protestors but have now said they are expecting up to 10,000 demonstrators. Sheffield ConDem Resistance have produced a flyer for the weekend. On Friday 11th March at 4.30pm there will be a demo assembling at the Town Hall and on Saturday 12th March a protest has been organised by the SWP's Right to Work campaign with the support of the Sheffield Anti Cuts Alliance with agreement with the Police — assemble 11am on Devonshire Green for a rally and a then a march to another rally. There are also other campaigns organising protests.

Newswire: Protests at the First Day of the Liberal Democrat Conference | Liberal Democrat Conference: Police State Sheffield | Liberal Democrats meet behind metal barrier | Information on planned protests in Sheffield 11-13th of March | Protest against Lib Dem Conference Organisers - Police surveillance actions

Gateway 303: Police Disinformation on UK Indymedia

In the wake of the outing of 4 undercover police infiltrators into the UK activist scene, SchNews, have broken a story about police posts to Indymedia. For over two years suspected police articles and comments have been tracked by filters that are triggered by matching IP addresses, the first comment tracked in this manner dates from August 2008 and the last from January 2011. The full lists of gateway 202 and 303 posts has now been published so activists can do their own analysis on the police posts. A feature article about the abuse has also been published by Birmingham Indymedia, this feature article, first started in in December 2009, has been the subject of a huge amount of internal discussion within UK Indymedia and has been one of the reasons behind the decision to fork the project. Sheffield Indymedia supports the use of anti-abuse features to track and remove disinformation from the site and long argued for the feature article exposing the state abuse to be published.

Articles: Full list of Gateway 303 and 202 posts to IMC UK | Advocating Domestic Extremism - Cops on Indymedia - An Exposé | INTER-NETCU: Government Agency Caught Infiltrating Activist Media Outlet | State infiltration and attempted disruption of activist websites | UK Police Agent Provocateurs Exposed | Nottingham Indymedia statement on recent events | IMC London Statement on the recent Schnews Article | Bristol Indymedia's position on IP logging

Other Press Coverage: SchNews: INTER-NETCU | SchNews: Gateway Gate: Straight from the Pig's Mouth | Slashdot: UK Authorities Accused of Inciting Illegal Protest

Cop Infiltrators: PC Mark Kennedy AKA "Mark (Flash) Stone", "Lyn Watson", "Mark (Marco) Jacobs" and PC Jim Boyling, "Jim Sutton"

On 21st October 2010 a statement posted to Indymedia revealed that Nottingham based activist "Mark Stone" was in fact PC Mark Kennedy and he was an "undercover police officer from 2000 to at least the end of 2009". This news didn't get picked up in a big way by the corporate press until a story was spun that the trail of the Ratcliffe 6 had collapsed because he had "gone native" and had considered testifying for the defense. The "gone native" story was probably police disinformation.

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday (16th January 2011), for which he was allegedly paid a six figure sum, Mark Kennedy stated that he had taped a planning meeting at which the defendants were present. The Mail goes on to say that the "covert recordings he supplied police proved undeniably that the six men facing trial last week for conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass were innocent". The same Mail article also contains the claim that Mark Kennedy, "knows of at least 15 other officers who infiltrated the ranks of green campaigners in the past decade and of four who remain undercover". The Guardian has reported that an activist who knew him has said "The trouble with Mark is you don't know what is real, he was an absolutely extraordinary liar trained by the British state."

The media frenzy has also led to three further undercover police officers being exposed, Officer A, "Lyn Watson" who was undercover in Leeds from 2004 till 2008, Officer B, "Mark (Marco) Jacobs", who appeared in Brighton in 2004 and then moved to Cardiff in 2005 and was active there till 2009 and PC Jim Boyling, "Jim Sutton". A summary of the activities of the 3 agent provocateurs has been put together and activists are asked to publish any better photos or information about their political activity to this thread.

Legal Statments: Bindmans comments on collapse of prosecution against 6 environmental campaigners at Nottingham Crown Court today | Bindmans seek disclosure of material of convicted power station activists | Statement from Mike Schwarz, Lawyer to the Defendants

Feature Articles: Three undercover political Police unmasked as infiltrators into UK Anarchist, Anti-Fascist and Climate Justice movements | Undercover police officer back in the spotlight | Guilty verdict in Ratcliffe trial | Mark Kennedy/Stone exposed as undercover cop

Newswire: Photos of undercover Cop Simon Wellings | The Guardian-Mark Kennedy: Confessions of an undercover cop | The Real Facts Regarding Mark Kennedy’s Infiltration of Saving Iceland | Mark Kenney: A detailed chronology of his activities | Exposed: police spy in Worthing | Mark Cassidy undercover 1995 - 2000 | 'Peter Black' undercover 1993 to 1997 | Jim Sutton - undercover cop in Reclaim the Streets | New Photos of Officer A "Lynn Watson" and Officer B "Mark Jacobs" | Jim Sutton - undercover cop in Reclaim the Streets | An account of Marco Jacobs' time in Brighton | Statement from Cardiff Anarchist Network (CAN) on the infiltration by Mark ‘Marc | Exposure of police spy in UK sheds light on covert operations | Officer "B" Marco Jacobs- further info and photos | Ratcliffe trial last two sentences | Did the CPS unlawfully authorise undercover work? | Three undercover political Police unmasked as infiltrators into UK Anarchist, Anti-Fascist and Climate Justice movements | Kennedy Mania in the Mainstream Media | Kennedy/Stone talks to Mail on Sunday | Three undercover political Police unmasked as infiltrators into UK Anarchist, Anti-Fascist and Climate Justice movements | Officer 'B' revealed as Cardiff based 'Marco' Jacobs | Mark Kennedy: secret policeman's sideline as corporate spy | Post Flash Fallout, Lessons and Activist security | The 'censored' Mark Kennedy article | I can't forgive Mark Kennedy's betrayal of activists | IMPORTANT: A respectful request to all activists regarding Mark "Stone" | Undercover police officer back in the spotlight | Release the Kennedy Files | Ratcliffe: 2nd Court Case of 6 activist Collapses | Ratcliffe trial collapses! | Judge sentences 18 of Ratcliffe defendants | Statement from the defendants | Ratcliffe Trial Day 15 – Jury says Guilty | Activists found guilty in Ratcliffe coal climate trial | Ratcliffe Trial Day 14 – Jury Still Retired | Ratcliffe Day 10 – Defence calls more Defendants | Ratcliffe Trial Day 9 – Defence Calls More Experts

Ratcliffe on Trial

A year and a half after their pre-emptive arrests, 20 climate change activists began their trial at Nottingham Crown Court last week. The defendants were part of a group of 114 people detained by police in Nottingham last April, suspected of organising to shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station. The defendants are arguing that their planned action was necessary to reduce the environmental devastation of Ratcliffe's emissions.

Newswire: Opening 1 | 2 | 3 | Prosecution 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Defence 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Previous feature: Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists in Raid

Links: Ratcliffe on Trial

No to Deportations and Destitution

In March 2007 the Home Office published "Enforcing the Rules": stating that its purpose was to ensure that for people seeking asylum, life "becomes ever more uncomfortable and constrained until they leave or are removed." From October this year they have stepped their efforts to make life hard for asylum seekers (and perhaps win some votes from the most ignorant and racist parts of the electorate). In particular: cutting asylum benefits to £5 a day for asylum seekers over 25; attempting (disastrously) to deport people to Baghdad, claiming that it is "safe" (one of the people on the demo had lost a friend to car bomb in Baghdad weeks before); making the process of claiming asylum even more of maze that it already is and announcing their intention to forcibly deport people to Zimbabwe by claiming there were "positive changes" there.

Sheffield's Zimbabwean community felt this attack on them should be resisted. They fled Zimbabwe to find safety here and there is no less danger in Zimbabwe now than before the latest "Unity" Government. Initiated by them and backed by the South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group (SYMAAG) we decided to speak out against this latest stepping up of the Government's war against asylum seekers. So 100-120 people demonstrated outside the Town Hall: asylum seekers from Zimbabwe, Uganda, Iraq, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Chechnia, Uzbekistan and Sudan joined SYMAAG, Sheffield and Barnsley Trades Councils, ASSIST, No Borders, CDAS, Sheffield Green Party, the Bishop of Sheffield and council leader Paul Scriven to show our opposition. As well as speeches there was dancing from members of the Zimbabwean group. The demonstration received coverage from Radio Sheffield, Sheffield Live and The Star and passers-by took 200 leaflets explaining why we were protesting. We left, cold but proud that we stood up for asylum rights in our city.

Next SYMAAG meeting: Monday 7th December 7pm at Scotia Works, Leadmill Road, Sheffield S1 4SE

Links: Protest Notice | Protest Photos

Hosting Indymedia Servers is Illegal?

This Monday (9 February 2009), Kent Police arrested a man in Sheffield under the Serious Crime Act 2007 in relation to the recent Indymedia server seizure. His home was raided, all computer equipment and related papers taken. He was released after eight hours. The person had neither technical, administrative nor editorial access to the Indymedia UK website. He was only associated to the project by hosting its server.

The arrest took place under Section 44-46 of the Serious Crime Act, which was passed into law on 1st October 2008 to combat serious international crime like drug trafficking, prostitution, money laundering and armed robbery. Sections 44-46 refer to “encouraging or assisting offences”.

Kent police claim that they are after the IP address of the poster of two anonymous comments to a report about a recent animal liberation court case, which included personal details of the Judge. The IP address of the poster is not stored as Indymedia does not log IP addresses. This was acknowledged by British Transport Police in 2005, after the Bristol IMC server seizure.

For the police to arrest the person who happened to sign the contract for server hosting, is sheer intimidation, in light of Indymedia’s openly stated policy of no IP logging.

With the implementation of the EU Data Retention Directive in March 2009, the UK government attempts to turn every internet service provider in the country into part of the law enforcement apparatus. This legislation will provide a legal basis to track, intimidate, harass, and arrest people who are doing valuable and necessary work for social change, for example as peace activists, campaigners for economic and social justice or against police brutality.

The present intimidation of the open publishing alternative news platform Indymedia will have serious implications for anyone running a server in the UK which allows user contributions – blogs, social networking sites, wikis. This is an attempt to close down sites that respect the privacy of their contributors, pure and simple.

CMI Brasil (pt) | donations to imc uk

Obama, Guantánamo and the “War on Terror”

Update: Binyam Mohamed/UK involvement in torture

Former Guantánamo prisoners including Moazzam Begg and Chris Arendt, a former guard, are completing a UK speaking tour to “mark seven years of unlawful detention, abuse and torture”. The tour, organised by Cage Prisoners started in London on 11th January 2009, exactly seven years after the first transfers to the prison torture camp at Guantánamo Bay at date which was marked in London by a weekend of actions. Sami al-Haj, a former Guantánamo prisoner and Al Jazeera journalist was due to be one of the speakers but instead he joined a Free Gaza boat which was fired on and didn’t make it. By the Sheffield meeting, held on the date of Obama’s inauguration, he had been replaced by Omar Deghayes another former Guantánamo prisoner. In Liverpool the meeting “was held on the same day as the US president signed an order to close Guantanamo. Moazzam Begg was not impressed, and commented that Barack Obama spoke about ‘outlawing torture’ as though he himself had just decided to make it illegal: “It has ALWAYS been illegal, at least in any civilised country”" Further reports can be found on the tour blog.

Background: Andy Worthington on Antiwar Radio: Obama, Guantánamo and Torture (audio) | SchNews: [ Inside Guantanamo | Omar Deghayes Speaks to SchNews ] Seven Years of Guantánamo Bay: London Actions | Guantánamo - Obama could do better | Binyam’s Story: From Ladbroke Grove to GTMO | The Rendition Monolgues | Moazzam Begg and Andy Worthington on Human Rights in The War on Terror | Can Human Rights Survive the "War on Terror"? | Guantánamo Bay: The Case of Omar Deghayes | Craig Murray: Legality, Morality and the War on Terror

Binyam Mohamed — the last UK resident in Guantánamo Bay — threatened with death penalty

The 11th June Sheffield Guantánamo protest highlighted the case of Binyam Mohamed who, after years of torture is facing the threat of the death penalty. On 31 May over 100 people attended a public meeting concerning his plight and Reprieve organised a protest in Trafalgar Square which took place on Sunday 15th June to highlight the suffering of Binyam Mohamed. The London Guantánamo Campaign are asking for urgent action to be taken for Binyam Mohamed.

Articles: Urgent appeal for British resident Binyam Mohamed, “close to suicide” in Guantánamo | Guantánamo: Torture victim Binyam Mohamed sues British government for evidence | Binyam Mohamed’s letter from Guantánamo to Gordon Brown | Meeting Report: Binyam Mohamed: The Last Londoner in Guantánamo Bay | Take URGENT ACTION for Binyam Mohamed! | New report details torture of Guantánamo prisoner Binyam Mohamed | Guantanamo bay / Binyam Mohamed Protest, London 15.06.08
Links: Cageprisoners.com | The National Guantanamo Coalition | Reprieve | Andy Worthington

Oaxaca Benefit Shut Down by the Police

A benefit gig and party put on by the Sheffield Anarchist Federation to raise money for Oaxacan autonomous organisations was raided and closed down by the police on Saturday 29th September.

"From 3:00 til about 8:30 everything was going well. Plenty of people had turned up, we had raised quite a bit of money and people were generally having a good time... At around nine, the police turned up. At first, we were only met with a couple of bobbies on the beat. They told us to turn the music down and that they didn't want to have to come back to tell us again. We complied with this order. A short while later they returned, this time they cited breach of the peace and noise complaints from local residents. At this point we were given no legal warning and shown no noise abatement order... At this point TSG arrived. The officer arriving on the scene demanded two spokespeople from the organisers to negotiate a de-escualtion of the situation. Two spokespeople were mandated and let outside of the property. The negotiation was a complete farce. The officer had no interest in an open dialogue, he ordered that the soundsystem be removed from the premises within ten minutes and when the spokespeople refused to give out their personal details repeatedly threatened them with arrest." See the full report for more details and photos.

Sheffield - Repression

Support the Antifascist Prisoners

Massive Protests Expected at the Liberal Democrats Spring Conference in Sheffield

Gateway 303: Police Disinformation on UK Indymedia

Cop Infiltrators: PC Mark Kennedy AKA "Mark (Flash) Stone", "Lyn Watson", "Mark (Marco) Jacobs" and PC Jim Boyling, "Jim Sutton"

Ratcliffe on Trial

No to Deportations and Destitution

Hosting Indymedia Servers is Illegal?

Obama, Guantánamo and the “War on Terror”

Binyam Mohamed — the last UK resident in Guantánamo Bay — threatened with death penalty

Oaxaca Benefit Shut Down by the Police

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