http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/25/peace-campaigner-classified-domestic-extremist
Serves the old codger right or erosion of civil liberties?
Serves the old codger right or erosion of civil liberties?
Can't stand the bloke but this is an absolute abuse of police power and smacks of Big Brother politics of the governement of the time. I've said it before and I'll say it again - we're becoming more and more a police state. Look at those Stoke fans who've finally got justice.
Totally agree. I think Catt is a thorough pain in the arse but this is completely over-the-top.
It does make you wonder about police budgets though, if Sussex Police have got so much money and staffing resources that they can monitor a octogenarian with sketch-pad so closely, it sounds like they're ripe for Osborne's axe.
Does that mean they like a bit of violence now and then?"Our activities were totally legitimate – we were not interested in non-violent direct action," said Linda
To add to the Sussex and Manchester police abuses lets also add in the extreme policing methods used at the EON demo by Kent police.
Oh, and the abuse of civil liberties regards innocent people having their DNA kept. The list goes on and on and on .......
You are all being watched ...... I would not mind I was paid millions for kicking a ball around a field.
I love the way this is portrayed as car loads of undercover cops keeping this fella under constant surveillance at the taxpayers expense when the reality is they are just intel reports on a known person submitted by ordinary plod when he has been seen at various demos etc. Just one of hundreds of intel reports generated daily about all manner of things. Intel info is just that more often than not its never used or actioned upon just logged for info. I don't think intelligence information is completely covered by freedom of information act etc, I may be wrong but I'm sure I recall reading that it can be witheld under certain circumstances. Obviously this chaps info was of no value whatsoever which is why he was granted access to it.
Not saying any of this is right or wrong before the resident NSC police haters start their usual torrent of abuse!
If somebody like John Catt is under observation to that extent, then it brings it home that State surveillance goes wider and deeper than it has any right to. It's John Catt's absolute right to lawfully protest against the Albion and EDO and anyone else that takes his fancy. We might not like it, but in a democracy we live with it. How f***ing dare Sussex Police keep tabs on the bloke for that and feed their findings on to other agencies who then flag him up as some kind of Enemy Of The State. Thin edge of the wedge and where does it stop?