IMPORTANT: A respectful request to all activists regarding Mark "Stone"
Someone | 11.01.2011 12:59 | Climate Chaos | Policing | Repression | Sheffield
There are many people who have been badly affected by this whole thing in different ways. It's important that this outrageous police behaviour is talked about in the media, but it's also important that we all respect people's privacy, and don't just feed the tabloids.
Please rest assured that a number of people know what's going on and are doing their best to deal with the media side of things in a way which is political and not personal.
Thank you
Someone
Comments
Hide the following 15 comments
Alternatively...
11.01.2011 15:47
anon
Alternatively...Not
11.01.2011 18:50
No comment is the best reply.
OK
Give them the name and address of their editor
11.01.2011 19:34
stoopid
agree wtih okay
11.01.2011 20:53
unnecessary
It's a little more complicated than just "don't talk"...
11.01.2011 22:57
Given that Mark Kennedy spent 7 years reporting to his superiors, there is nothing anyone is likely to say that would not already be known to the police.
Some things should be talked about publicly. There are important questions to ask about whether having undercover cops among green protesters makes any sort of sense, and in particular whether it is even legal for an undercover officer to enter into a sexual relationship while on duty and while pretending to be a completely different person. The Met needs to be held to account for what happened, and unfortunately the best way to hold the Met accountable is to get a lot of publicity.
On the other hand it's very important to show solidarity to those who were closest to Kennedy before he was found out. I would say that out of solidarity for those involved don't talk to cops about the friendships and relationships that Kennedy was involved in, unless you first talk to those people and make sure it's OK.
maya
Let's keep this simple
11.01.2011 23:46
Silas
Nobody should be talking to the media
12.01.2011 09:54
Jones
Difference between personal and political
12.01.2011 12:38
It's pretty straightforward really, and just means focusing on his role in the movement, and avoiding his interactions with people on a personal level.
Someone else
Thanks for the Advice!
12.01.2011 13:34
Hopefully the funds will come in handy!
BobSchmenge
Media
12.01.2011 14:44
Whether or not you agree with this tactic, I'm pretty sure they acted in good faith. I wish they'd also put stuff up on Indymedia, but there you go.
another person
they come in many guises
12.01.2011 19:14
They may pretend to be an old mate of the person they want info on, or their family or employer or tutor or whatever.
They may say they got your number from someone you trust, they may start out by calling you by your first name and, before you've had time to think, you've given away a crucial detail that puts them on to doing a shitty tittilating story that hurts our mates and distracts from the political reality.
deepthroat
police abuse is political not just political
12.01.2011 22:57
rhi
I second all that Maya has said.
13.01.2011 01:13
Infiltrators spend years in the closest circles of activists, spying on them and feeding information to the police and private companies. Finally, some hope that the public comes closer to realising what an Orwellian state we live in (unfortunately yes, through the mainstream media) - and what sort of scrutiny activists involved in non-violent direct action are subject to - and people are asked to shut up, because some other people know best how to deal with this.
Sorry, but this seems a little authoritarian and patronising.
Here we are given the chance to raise fundamental questions about policing ethics and codes of conduct, growing inter-state collaboration to monitor and tackle activist movements, the frequent use of agent provocateurs... etc. etc. Stuff we have to deal with as activists, but usually meets very little public understanding...
However, I do agree that utmost respect should be shown to those who were closest to him and issues concerning them should not be discussed without their consent.
S.son
what are social movements for?
13.01.2011 02:31
smart people know what to say and what not to say to the press. some of us anarchists have been doing alternative/indy as well as mainstream media for a long time. face it, without the very good reporting of the Guardian, this case could completely die in the eyes of the mainstream public, 99% of which have never heard of IMC, or would freak out if they read it, like your mother/grandma. however, with the international spotlight now, bbc and others doing decent reporting (alongside shit yellow press), now maybe somethings will change.
how do you think social movements can work to check runaway cops in the future?
i want to protect people hurt by mark, but also see if we can get all past cases where mark was involved reopened. possibly other activists could get out of prison if past "evidence" from mark would be thrown out. why does nobody mention this important aspect?
HELLO!
also, what about protecting other people in the future? you can bet your ass that mark is shitting bricks now. it is for sure that whatever "handlers" and high ups were managing mark, are immediately changing their guidelines. yes, never trust a cop, but also don't be blinded about how massive public pressure, in the media and on the streets, can bring change.
otherwise, you might as well just give up now.
right?
experienced
double standards
13.01.2011 14:33
Either:
-tell everyone to keep their mouth shut, including the media junkies or
-allow anyone to speak to the media (which doesn't prevent you from suggesting advice/guidelines about pitfalls to avoid, sensitivity to those most affected etc).
Otherwise it's just the usual cliqueyness all over again.
anti-clique patrol