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Are you Redwatch in disguise? FITwatch at the STWC demo - pics

FITwatcher | 18.03.2008 23:56 | Policing | Repression | London

A fun day was had by all FITwatchers on the otherwise boring STW demo on Saturday 15th March (although less so for the ones who got nicked). The FIT seemed more sheepish, uncomfortable and shy this time; it seems that a FITwatch is having an effect!

camera shy
camera shy

trying to hide their faces
trying to hide their faces

mingling in the crowd
mingling in the crowd

aided by the stewards
aided by the stewards

making notes about us
making notes about us

Neil Williams!
Neil Williams!

Neil runs for protection from his FIT mates
Neil runs for protection from his FIT mates

running away after FITwatch attention
running away after FITwatch attention

no number - maybe he's on work experience
no number - maybe he's on work experience

perhaps they'll give him a number when he turns 18
perhaps they'll give him a number when he turns 18

CO 5494
CO 5494

CO 5029
CO 5029

CW 2073
CW 2073

EK no number?
EK no number?

EK 148
EK 148

Neil with suspected undercover cop
Neil with suspected undercover cop

another photographer
another photographer

KD 54
KD 54

LX 637
LX 637

K 332
K 332


It seems that the FIT are on the back foot these days: they were defensive and camera shy on Saturday, and less responsive to our taunts and jeers. Their confidence must have dwindled. They also didn't get much support from the other marchers this time: it seems now their 'legitimacy' is being questioned by more and more people. They did however get protected by the STWC stewards.

A particular highlight came chasing Photographer Neil Williams through the demonstration just by calling his name, taunting him and taking his photograph. Apparently, this was scary enough to make him return to the safety of the pack of FIT outside the demonstration; perhaps next time he'll think twice about entering the crowd all alone.

Doing FITwatch might sound like something that takes a lot of nerve, perhaps only for the 'seasoned activist' – but in fact it feels much less scary than ignoring the FIT; knowing they're there without confronting them, pretending to each other and ourselves that they don't affect us. They do affect us, and they will continue to do so unless we stop them. That's a much more scary prospect than doing a bit of FITwatch. Doing to them what they do to us feels like taking some power back. Particularly when, like on Saturday, they show that they feel vulnerable too.

And FITwatch must be doing something right – the ludicrous charges given the FITwatchers who were nicked suggests (see  https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/393970.html) that they are desperately trying to find a charge that will succeed in court – following the difficulties they are facing using 'obstruction' in the ongoing FITwatch trial (see  https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/393377.html)

FITwatcher
- e-mail: defycops(at)yahoo.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.fitwatch.blogspot.com/

Additions

More FIT pics

31.03.2008 12:55

QK 966
QK 966

TX 765
TX 765

U 2105
U 2105

U 2337
U 2337

U 3525
U 3525

VK 547
VK 547

VK 547 and U2337
VK 547 and U2337

XD 125
XD 125

XB 8 and LX 859
XB 8 and LX 859

HT 668
HT 668

for future reference.

FITwatcher


Comments

Hide the following 19 comments

Nice one.

19.03.2008 07:28

Nice one Fitwatch.

but... is it right to name someone as 'suspected undercover cop?' I did the same in another topic about some suspect camera dude and got slated big time from people on here... M15 DEMO. (sad to say some of the slating came from a fitwatch)

Anyway whatever.

Good stuff... lets bring these scum down a peg or two.

coal


Top Picture 1Hello where are you?, Iam in front of you genius, ooh cameras

19.03.2008 08:26

Top Picture 1Hello where are you?, Iam in front of you genius, what we are doing here?, shouldnt we be monitoring dodgy people & child molesters?

Most of Fitwatch look a bit lost, do they really know what they are doing?

green syndicalist


Tactics

19.03.2008 08:32

When you say sheepish do you mean they withdrew when you obstructed them? Did you then find that the next time you did so, having moved to repeat the obstruction you got nicked?
Sounds like they were giving you the chance to provided enough evidence to charge you.

All good fun!

SHACWATCH.WORDPRESS.COM


Great posting

19.03.2008 10:57

Great posting and great work, thanks!

If they have done nothing wrong then they have nothing to fear

Germaine


no number - maybe he's on work experience

19.03.2008 12:00

Looks like the sort of kid who got beaten up daily in school, What's the matter? you want your authority to be respected?

Nanananannnnna


Re: suspected undercover cop

19.03.2008 15:25

> but... is it right to name someone as 'suspected undercover cop?' I
> did the same in another topic about some suspect camera dude
> and got slated big time from people on here... M15 DEMO.

Coal, you were deservedly slated for suggesting that a well known video journalist "stinks of cop" because (a) you've seen him covering other demos and (b) he has an expensive camera, which is no evidence at all. You could have just asked some of the Fitwatchers if they knew him.

Here instead we have a guy always hanging around Neal Williams:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/03/394232.jpg
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/03/394233.jpg
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/03/394242.jpg
and at Traf Square:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/03/393905.jpg

But that's not why he's been pointed out here, it's because of the conversation he was having with MD862 Pritchard and Neal while these arrests:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/393970.html
were happening. Apart from the two photographers he was the only 'civilian' present for the arrests.

fitwatcher


CO 5494 = IAN SKIVENS of Netcu Fame

19.03.2008 17:10

Watch the video of CO 5494 Ian Skivens by WARN on Animal Rights CopWatch:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD06pH29c-E

Skivens: "I've got nothing to hide"
WARN: "Can we have your surname?"
Skivens: "No"

If they can and do exchange details of activists between "anti-terror forces", than so will we.

WARN:  http://www.animalliberation.co.uk
Netcu Watch:  http://www.netcuwatch.org.uk
AR CopWatch:  http://arcops.wordpress.com

NetcuWatcher


I love you guys!

19.03.2008 17:34

Thanks so much for your hard work. Keep it up!

Jamal


Re: Re: suspected undercover cop

19.03.2008 17:43

No i did not deserve to be slated. Sorry but were you at the demo? Holding the Fitwatch banner around the march... i was.

Ive already stated what happend!!! Do people bother to read?? I TRIED TO SPEAK TO THE SO CALLED WELL KNOWN CAMERA MAN (TWICE INFACT).... AND HE FRIGGING WELL WALKED OFF PRETTY SHARPISH!!!

I don't really want to bring that dispute over on to this thread... but !!!!!!

The person you have so clearly pointed out in your photos is also someone ive seen around before at demos... even once or twice at the old Russell Square social centre squat.

This guy was later seen at parliment square.... i remember having a discussion about it with another fitwatcher briefly... before we all went off to the AF bookstall and hassled some police there.

Do you have any evidence at all that this guy is police?

How do you know he's always hanging around Williams?

Have you ever tried to speak to him before assuming the worst and putting his photo up?
(This isnt some daily rag like the Sun newspaper (comic).

I've had plenty of run ins with that scum williams before and havent seen that guy there.

Have you thought that maybe this dude might just have his own agenda in life?

As it has been pointed out to me... it can be all to easy to jump to suspicions.

coal


Re: suspected undercover cop

19.03.2008 22:00

Coal wrote:

> No i did not deserve to be slated. Sorry but were you at the demo? Holding the Fitwatch
> banner around the march... i was.

Was I at the demo? Well, there was a small clue here:
"Apart from the two photographers he was the only 'civilian' present for the arrests."

Which makes me either a cop, a cop photographer, or ... well, see if you can guess?

> I TRIED TO SPEAK TO THE SO CALLED WELL KNOWN CAMERA MAN
> (TWICE INFACT).... AND HE FRIGGING WELL WALKED OFF PRETTY
> SHARPISH!!!

He's a journalist, why would he want to be filmed talking to you when he could be doing his job?

> The person you have so clearly pointed out in your photos

Not my photos, I was a little busy elsewhere.

fitwatcher


oh dear.

20.03.2008 13:04

Not your photos? .... well why are you bothering to reply to the comment then?

(!)

Any leads yet (from the person who did take the photos) that the person highlighted is cop???

megatron


:-/

20.03.2008 13:23

Oh dear... im beginning to suspect that fitwatch is 'staffed' by children. Nevermind theres a new xbox game out soon. lol.

coal


Re: oh dear.

20.03.2008 13:36

> Not your photos? .... well why are you bothering to reply to the comment then?

As I said: "that's not why he's been pointed out here, it's because of the conversation he was having with MD862 Pritchard and Neal while these arrests were happening"

Can you guess who apart from the police might hear conversations during arrests?

fitwatcher


back to the real issue...

20.03.2008 13:49

Fitwatch supporters everywhere should be feeling pretty good about this latest excursion. FIT on the run and fitwatch out in force with good committed militant people. We have a tactic that is gaining support, gaining ground and gaining credibility. If we can keep things moving forward, with solidarity and mutual support, FIT will struggle to keep a presence on the streets.

But we need to keep our unity and not be overly distracted by arguments about undercover cops. Of course they are out there, but if we cant deal with the cops we know are cops, there's not much point worrying about the ones in jeans and nice clean trainers. Their day will come (probably coinciding with the day there are no longer surveillance cameras about).

If you're worried about someone, be careful what you say in front of them. Don't invite them round your house. Keep the mollies hidden. Otherwise, we have bigger, more obvious fish to fry.

The story here is that Fitwatch works. It's growing, and it's effective. Cheerio FIT.

fighting fit


hang on there...

20.03.2008 13:54

ive had or tried to have conversations with filth before at demos,even whilst they were trying to arrest someone... does that make me suspect too???

megatron


Re: hang on there...

20.03.2008 14:02

> ive had or tried to have conversations with filth before at demos,
> even whilst they were trying to arrest someone... does that
> make me suspect too???

Oh FFS, the reason I suspect he's an undercover cop is because of the CONTENT of the conversation he had with another cop and a police photographer about ME during MY arrest.

Is that clear enough for you?

fitwatcher


Oh ffs

20.03.2008 14:53

''Is that clear enough for you?''

...no ;-)

Sorry i must be missing something along the way here,but you never mentioned you were arrested.
This is all turning into a pickle isnt it. Lets stick to the bigger picture at large here and not get into a scuffle over whos undercover or not. Its always been hard to tell whos who in the fray at times... but if we keep our eyes opened and stick together we'll do just fine.

megatron.

megatron


More photos of Neil with said individual

20.03.2008 21:21

Let me start by saying that I do not like speculations about who is an undercover cop or not. So my only contribution to the debate will be to point out that the same individual was near the FIT photographer as they came past me next to the start of the march. He was just behind the FIT team as the march started leaving from Trafalgar.

The photo (as already published) is here:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/03/393905.jpg

This is not evidence of anything -- I suggest you just ask the guy next time.

Manos

manos


Mr Suspect? You twats!!!

31.03.2008 15:23

What the F%%k!!!!!

The young man that FITWATCH have so nicely pointed out is someone i know.

HE IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE POLICE FORCE!!!

It seems theres a lot of this pointing out of people on here lately. Next time please do think before putting up photos of someone you suspect as being an undercover copper... maybe you could at least try and speak to the person, find out who they are first!

You amateurs!!!

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