Undercover police in Great Britian are running a network of hundreds of informants inside protest organizations who secretly feed them intelligence in return for cash.
The dramatic disclosures are revealed in almost three hours of secretly recorded discussions between covert officers claiming to be from Strathclydepolice, and an activist from the protest group Plane Stupid.Matilda Gifford, 24, said she recorded the meetings in an attempt to expose how police seek to disrupt the legitimate activities of climate changeactivists. She met the officers twice; they said they were a detective constable and his assistant. During the taped discussions, the officers: The meetings took place in a Glasgow police station and in a supermarket café.
• Indicate that she could receive tens of thousands of pounds to pay off her student loans in return for information about individuals within Plane Stupid.• Say they will not pay money direct into her bank account because that would leave an audit trail that would leave her compromised. They said the money would be tax-free, and added: “UK plc can afford more than 20 quid.”• Accept that she is a legitimate protester, but warn her that her activity could mean she will struggle to find employment in the future and result in acriminal record.• Claim they have hundreds of informants feeding them information from protest organizations and “big groupings” from across the political spectrum.
In a statement, Plane Stupid said: “Our civil liberties were invaded and our right to peaceful protest called into question simply to defend the interests of big business.”
Title: Police caught on tape trying to recruit Plane Stupid protester as spy
Source: guardian.co.uk, Friday 24 April 2009
URL:http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/24/strathclyde-police-plane-stupid-recruit-spy
Author: Paul LewisFaculty
Evaluator: Elaine Wellin
Sonoma State University