Undercover surveillance - Can you identify this man?
ARUK | 08.01.2012 23:44 | Animal Liberation | Repression | Social Struggles
At an animal rights national gathering meeting today this man was caught filming activists and exhibiting other dodgy behaviour, does anyone have any more information on him?
Bob 1
Bob 2
Today this man was seen peering through the door window with a camera which he was attempting to obscure under his jacket, into the room in which activists were meeting. Upon being confronted he gave clearly scripted stories, emphasising points that he was 'going to bath tomorrow because it's of historical interest', at several points during the confrontation he put his arm round the neck of activists.
After some debate he allowed activists to camera which he claimed to have bought 4 days before. There had been much opportunity for him to remove the memory card by this point, and they didn't find the footage he had taken.
Not long after this, he was seen in a car with an older man who he appeared to be passing information to. Upon seeing someone they recognised the car left at speed. The registration of the car was RV07V** - the last 2 digits didn't get attained because of the speed with which they left.
He then returned to the community centre in which the meeting was happening and sat reading the same newspaper for nearly 3 hours, with his chair pointed directly at the door (given the layout of the room, it was obvious that the purpose of this was to monitor who entered/left the meeting) until leaving.
He was then spotted turning his reversible jacket inside out not far from the meeting. There were no further sightings.
The people in the meeting do not feel he achieved anything for whoever he was employed by, be it the police or otherwise, but feel people should be made aware of him. It would also be helpful if people could share any other reports they have of him, and any information they might have.
He had a scottish accent, saying he was from Edinburgh, and gave the unoriginal fake name 'Bob'. He was about 6 foot tall, and quite wide as if he worked out.
As activists we're all under threat from state surveillance, whether it comes from the forces of police protecting capitalist interest, or corporations using their wealth for the same purpose, but if we all stand in solidarity with one another we become stronger through our unity than they can be through their wealth. Against repression, against surveillance, against state, until all are free!
After some debate he allowed activists to camera which he claimed to have bought 4 days before. There had been much opportunity for him to remove the memory card by this point, and they didn't find the footage he had taken.
Not long after this, he was seen in a car with an older man who he appeared to be passing information to. Upon seeing someone they recognised the car left at speed. The registration of the car was RV07V** - the last 2 digits didn't get attained because of the speed with which they left.
He then returned to the community centre in which the meeting was happening and sat reading the same newspaper for nearly 3 hours, with his chair pointed directly at the door (given the layout of the room, it was obvious that the purpose of this was to monitor who entered/left the meeting) until leaving.
He was then spotted turning his reversible jacket inside out not far from the meeting. There were no further sightings.
The people in the meeting do not feel he achieved anything for whoever he was employed by, be it the police or otherwise, but feel people should be made aware of him. It would also be helpful if people could share any other reports they have of him, and any information they might have.
He had a scottish accent, saying he was from Edinburgh, and gave the unoriginal fake name 'Bob'. He was about 6 foot tall, and quite wide as if he worked out.
As activists we're all under threat from state surveillance, whether it comes from the forces of police protecting capitalist interest, or corporations using their wealth for the same purpose, but if we all stand in solidarity with one another we become stronger through our unity than they can be through their wealth. Against repression, against surveillance, against state, until all are free!
ARUK
Additions
No Speculation
09.01.2012 13:54
With all due respect, this has not been posted up here for the sake of random finger pointing or speculation. This is an article based on facts, which there were many witnesses for (not limited to the meeting attendees) and has been posted for the sake of protecting activists and other communities which may be victimized by surveillance. It also serves the purpose of gathering information on the man in question, so to give more chance of identifying him and discovering who sent him.
The incompetence of these social spies is not undocumented, just last year an undercover was sent by a Danish fur company to the International Animal Rights Gathering and people managed to identify him, confront him and remove him within about 4 hours of his arrival due to his complete lack of subtlety.
It would be greatly appreciated if people could refrain from accusing the authors of the article of spreading misinformation, being paranoid, or unjustly accusatory. It is this behavior that creates divides in social movements and weakens us in our struggle against repression. It is also incredibly disrespectful to victims of the incident.
The incompetence of these social spies is not undocumented, just last year an undercover was sent by a Danish fur company to the International Animal Rights Gathering and people managed to identify him, confront him and remove him within about 4 hours of his arrival due to his complete lack of subtlety.
It would be greatly appreciated if people could refrain from accusing the authors of the article of spreading misinformation, being paranoid, or unjustly accusatory. It is this behavior that creates divides in social movements and weakens us in our struggle against repression. It is also incredibly disrespectful to victims of the incident.
ARUK
Comments
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Monty Python
09.01.2012 09:57
Good work and thanks for the post, solidarity is the key.
Networks are such strong forms of social fabric. They have much greater integrity than any hierarchy could have. The state and corporate dickheads can't understand this.
We are more powerful than they could possibly imagine, and their situation is very precarious.
It is not too much to hope that the patriarchy could fall and fall soon, it is like a tall tower built on sand held together with lies and fear.
agatha
Decoy for another person?
09.01.2012 10:16
anon
PC Mickey Rourke
09.01.2012 14:09
No, this is somebody who WANTS to be identified as an undercover. And who no doubt WANTS to be plastered all over Indymedia.
Yes, he looks like a body builder...he has swollen pectoral muscles and a fake tan. Probably fancies himself as a bit of a ladies man although in reality that means 'ladies for hire'.
Probably a decoy although the police are having problems with funding at the moment, so they almost certainly are having to rely on 'pretending' they are everywhere when in actual fact they are a bit skint. That means undercover availablity for protest monitoring is limited.
Have you noticed the cocky grins they have whenever they are photographed...that usually means the CO has told them to smile if challenged...helps maintain the illusion of effortless dominance which I suppose is supposed to have a chilling effect.
Knot-Eyed Jaguar.
some trolling going on here?
09.01.2012 16:49
anon
@PC Mickey Rourke
09.01.2012 22:47
>> Yes, he looks like a body builder...he has swollen pectoral muscles and a fake tan. Probably fancies himself as a bit of a ladies man although in reality that means 'ladies for hire'.
Good analysis. This guy looks SAS to me, tan is from recent work overseas in Afghanistan and he has come here for some R&R and some soft intelligence work as a new burn man whos ident can be revealed without too much risk to the operation. Once clocked, he'll be back on covert operations again against foreign forces, this is just some moonlight training for these guys in domestic intelligence work.
>> Probably a decoy although the police are having problems with funding at the moment, so they almost certainly are having to rely on 'pretending' they are everywhere when in actual fact they are a bit skint. That means undercover availablity for protest monitoring is limited.
Very true, thats why they bring these guys in, gives them experience of intelligence and convert work whilst increasing numbers but at same time they can afford to be identified.
>> Have you noticed the cocky grins they have whenever they are photographed...that usually means the CO has told them to smile if challenged...helps maintain the illusion of effortless dominance which I suppose is supposed to have a chilling effect.
Yeah... Its easy work for these guys. Not getting shot at or at any risk, so pretty easy to be relaxed and laugh at it. These guys are highly trained in jason bourne type skills so they aint got any worries about protesters. This deep insertion cover but relative low risk so good training for covert operations within an urban domestic theatre.
ops team omega
re
10.01.2012 00:45
The above analysis is much better, thanks.
agatha
lol @ ops team omega!
10.01.2012 09:52
"highly trained in jason bourne type skills" was what gave it away though.
More like steroid injecting skills than man down the pub "SAS" I think...!
anon
the things is
31.01.2012 14:02
he's been around for years.......
Paul