PSNI film protestors!
antrim |
rights, freedoms and repression |
press release 
Sunday March 04, 2007 22:29
by reabhloid dearg
Belfast IRSP representative, Gerard Foster, has today hit out at the filming and photographing of a peaceful white line picket by the PSNI outside the party’s national headquarters on the Falls Road.
Mr. Foster commented “Upwards of 30 IRSP members gathered to hold a white line picket against water charges and British policing in Ireland
“They were met with an armoured Landrover parked opposite our office with attached camera and directional microphone. Officers inside the vehicle also had a digital camera which was used to take photos of those present – including members of our youth movement under the age of 16. Are these pictures for their own use, or are they to be collaborated with Loyalist paramilitaries?
Mr. Foster continued “This does, however, raise the question just who exactly gathered the intelligence for the PSNI to know that the picket was going ahead. Can it truthfully be said that MI5 can be separated from civic policing? MI5 do not have powers of arrest – it will still be the PSNI that will batter in the doors of Republicans.
"This has been claimed at a time when MI5 are building a centre in Hollywood rumoured to be as big as Croke park, with massive underground facilities. MI5, within the United Kingdom – as it’s called – are monitoring over 1,500 individuals.
“When some of our comrades left the picket early, their details were seen to be radioed through by the driver of the Landrover.
“We make this challenge to those Republicans who may advocate that our young people join this sectarian police force – what was the purpose for these individuals to be monitored and their details taken?
Mr. Foster concluded by saying “Let them be reminded, we weren’t moved or intimidated over the past 30 years and we’re certainly not going to let them do it now.”
Statement Ends.
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4OK to the point - we are all monitored to some extent. It is part and parcel of our modern technological age.
At times there are simple reminders of this in our newspapers which at face value have nothing to do with "political activity". An example was a report in the Spanish media today that 28% of minors enter pornographic sites on the internet according to the Guardia Civil. They only way they could come to such a figure is by monitoring internet use. The umbrella site "nodo50" which serves 1119 organisations varying from open software groups to housing campaigns, from squats to anti-capitalist groups, from Basque or Catalan seperatist groups and news - clocks up everytime ISP's identified with the state apparatus of Spain & elsewhere visit. The average is one a day. As I go check - I see the last attempted inflitration was at 17h23 local time (it's displayed top left hand corner always) http://nodo50.org/ - I was on the site early this morning and it had been infiltrated on Saturday evening.
What goes for the Spanish state goes for the French state, goes for the British state. On the question of electronic surveillance - It was not really an achievement by SF to win assurances that MI5 would play no role in the PSNI. But on other levels it was. I'll leave that to those affected by the PSNI to debate "hotly". However, my point is that all digital information - all of it - may be & is monitored. I have my own opinions on the usefulness of such enormous "raw intelligence". I'd go into it another day - if asked to. Suffice to say - get used to it - & relax a bit - you can always "test your lines of communication" something which after a bit of practice becomes second nature. I know I did whilst trying to monitor what was going on in Belarus some time back, with very interesting results - them watching us, watching them watching us... Thing is if your "youth members" abandon the IRSP and go back to playing video games of a weekend instead which considering your for all practical purposes permanent ceasefire might be more "violent" - they will still be monitored. If you read "the Da Vinci code" -giggle- you'd know even the most shadowy of groups couldn't continue to be secret in the age of ultra-surveillance. I remember a slogan of the 90's anti-capitalist and alternative underground scene "there are no more secrets!"
Lend your weight to a cross-community campaign for "Freedom of Information" on both sides of the border. & don't get paranoid.
As a socialist although not an IRSP supporter I feel that every one on the left should condem this attempt at intimidation by the state.
Weren't members of Dungiven Sinn Fein photographing a recent protest in the town before the PSNI stepped in with their cameras?
It happened during a rally in the town in support of Republican POWs in Maghaberry. Why did the Provos want photographs of the protesters?
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