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Mass arrests today linked to G20 - Media asked to keep quiet

G20 person | 24.04.2009 12:24 | G20 London Summit

In London, Leeds and Manchester as well as Holland, Sweden and Germany

In what looks like a European wide co-ordinated series of arrests 63 people have been arrested today in conjunction with activities during the G20 event. The truly worrying part is that police have requested the mainstream media to not report this until later tonight as further arrests are expected and they do not want tip offs.

ID informaiton has come from small person mounted cameras that the police in the UK used for the first time in a major operation. Undercover police mixed with activists during preperation for the G20 protests at rampARTS and the Climate Camp gathering in Paul St and used voice matching and facial recognition software to identify individuals that were in some case masked up.

Following the arrests houses and flats were searched and equipment including PC's laptops and DVD's were taken away. Those arrested in the UK have been taken to police stations across London with those in mainland Europe also held in police stations.

Legal observers have visited Battersea and West End Central police stations to request oversight of the interviews but have been refused entry.

G20 person

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Quite right too

24.04.2009 12:31

It should be illegal and an arrestable offence to wear masks in public demonstrations.

Voice of Reason

Bugs at ramparts

24.04.2009 12:38

Media people are talking about ramparts being bugged for some weeks and the police using this. I thought they were not allowed to use this type of evidence ?

James Bond I aint

update

24.04.2009 13:01

Further arrests in Brighton Southern England and Bristol. 4 people now in custody from Brighton area and either 3 or 4 from Bristol. Police dog used against some attempts to de-arrest, activist has bad bite to hand. Suggestion to use pepper spray against police dogs in future to prevent injury.

Vigil tonight 7pm at Trafalger Square in solidarity with those arrested and all those killed by the police over the years. Where white please to show our peaceful resistance to the repression and violence

updater

oversight of interviews

24.04.2009 13:11

"Legal observers have visited Battersea and West End Central police stations to request oversight of the interviews but have been refused entry."

What sort of legal observer would be stupid enough to think they'd get 'oversight of interviews'?

Sounds like someone is spreading disinfo.

thomas

i have not been able to verify this

24.04.2009 13:21

as above

not sure about this...

troll watch

24.04.2009 13:39

"What sort of legal observer would be stupid enough to think they'd get 'oversight of interviews'? "

The sort of legal observer who knows that making sure the police understand they are under scrutiny is an effective strategy in protecting those arrested. The request to obseve interviews means the police know they are being checked. They never expected to get approval but that wasn't the point.

Got it now ?

Doubting Thomas

Question re bugging

24.04.2009 13:43

You are right and wrong :-)

If rampARTS was bugged as seems likely here then the police can't use that as evidence in court they can however use it as a reason for an arrest warrant.

I wonder of the raid on rampARTS during the g20 was linked to this, downloading of data, removing of some bugs, planting more ?

Facts

24.04.2009 13:48

"ID informaiton has come from small person mounted cameras that the police in the UK used for the first time in a major operation. Undercover police mixed with activists during preperation for the G20 protests at rampARTS and the Climate Camp gathering in Paul St and used voice matching and facial recognition software to identify individuals that were in some case masked up."

"The truly worrying part is that police have requested the mainstream media to not report this until later tonight"

How is this known? Is it fact or speculation?

sounds like a fake

24.04.2009 13:51

sorry, what kind of rubbish is that?
what kind of legal observers are you talking about?

unbeliever

Brighton peeps

24.04.2009 13:52

Those arrested today in Brighton are being held for some reason at the Transport police building on Queens Road. This may be because they are going to be moved to London (just a guess no info). There is a group of us getting down there at about six for a noisy demo - please support if you can.

British Transport Police
Queen's Rd
Brighton, BN1 3XP

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=brighton+police+station&fb=1&split=1&gl=uk&cid=6787355142011196544&li=lmd&z=14&t=m

Lauren

@Me

24.04.2009 13:54

its all bollocks and conspiracy theory.

myself

No Comment...

24.04.2009 13:58

I know it has been said before but making comments under caution helps convict people every day. Have some sense and respect for your fellow protesters who might be implicated by anything you say whilst under police caution.

More Info //

http://libcom.org/organise/no-comment-the-defendants-guide-to-arrest

Remember you wouldn't be in an interview if they had all the evidence they need to convict they are relying on you dropping yourself and others in the shite!

It is however worth making a short statement at the start of the interview which says.

"I , deny all accusations and will be remaining silent for the remainder of this interview."

That why if it goes to court they cannot say you didn't deny the accusations and they won't make inferences.

All the best,

NETCU WATCH

Netcu Watch
mail e-mail: warn at riseup dot net
Homepage: http://netcu.wordpress.com