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FITwatch - Faslane Oct 1st

Puppy Lover | 03.10.2007 23:12 | Faslane | Anti-militarism | Policing | Repression

FIT and police photography units were out at Faslane on October the 1st during the Big Blockade.

MoD OSU cameraman
MoD OSU cameraman

Officer to left from S Yorkshire
Officer to left from S Yorkshire

Officer to right NI, officer in orange MoD OSU
Officer to right NI, officer in orange MoD OSU


MoD OSU (Operational Support Unit) Police regularly use video as a way of intimidating people as well as for intelligence and training purposes. However, last Monday seemed to be the first time other FIT were present at the base since the G8 2005. The two police with blue shoulders identified themselves as being from the Northern Ireland and South Yorkshire Police. They said they were there to "see how other police deal with protesters." Interestingly a French Police officer, who wore his French cap and a UK police jacket, was also present and said he was there to "observe." Monday was also the first time local Strathclyde Police have used video recording, with one L-division officer filming. This seemed to be for training purposes only, rather than intelligence led (or maybe just because everyone else was, and they didn;t want to seem unfashionable).

It is not surprising that since the anti-nuclear movement throughout Europe works closely together and shares tactics and members that the police have decided to do the same.

The FITwatch site shows that the N Yorkshire cop was photographing the Nottingham DESi demo in July, and his number is 1818. In the photo you can clearly see his cap has a different badge from the Met cop beside him. If my memory serves me right, he was also at Climate Camp.

Puppy Lover
- Homepage: http://fitwatch.blogspot.com


Additions

correction

04.10.2007 08:10

Sorry, I meant at Faslane. This is the first time during F365 that Strathclyde have deployed film units.

PL


Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

'Only paying my mortgage'

04.10.2007 01:16

"Monday was also the first time local Strathclyde Police have used video recording, with one L-division officer filming."

Good report but that is a bizarre and false statement. Strathclyde Police photograph and video activists all the time, long before it became a national police obsession - have I misunderstood you ?

The cop in the centre of the first photo seems a really nice guy. He used to be MoD Plod at Coulport. He claimed his dad used to take him on protest marches against the base being built. I've passed him Chomsky books in the past, at his request. Presumably he hasn't read them or understood them. His dad would be black-ashamed.

d


I noticed them too

04.10.2007 07:26

The FIT guys, one of whom seemed rather un-FIT I'd guess I could outrun him :-) seemed rather to be on their own as if the others didn't want much to do with them?

GE


not first FIT at 365

04.10.2007 13:15

when i was arrested at faslane last december
i was approached by officers from the environmental action unit (cant remember the exact title - but its
nominally attached to staffordshire police as they were first set up to combat animal rights activists and focussed on newchurch guinea pig farm)
anyway blah


and approached me while i was in a lock on on the ground at 630 am
greeted me by name and started chatting about various details of my life

they had been doing FIT at climate camp last year where they had also buzzed me with information about my past

ocal police said that this was as far as they knew the first time police from outside scotland had been involved in f365

ex


Lying Cops

08.10.2007 07:10

"Local police said that this was as far as they knew the first time police from outside scotland had been involved in f365"

There were some police from Yorkshire present during the Coventry blockade earlier in the year. Never trust a cop....

Dave C
mail e-mail: Gitboy@Action4Peace.org


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