Mark Kennedy aka Mark Stone infiltrated various political and environment groups for over 7 years.
Mark Stone aka Mark Kennedy was first exposed as a police infiltrator on UK Indymedia UK.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/10/466477.html
He came to mainstream media attention who went into their usual feeding frenzy when the Ratcliffe-on-Soar conspiracy trial collapsed earlier this week. It is difficult to prove conspiracy when those charged have not engaged in a conspiracy. The trial collapsed when it emerged that the police were withholding key evidence, namely that their undercover police officer was there at the meeting where the alleged conspiracy had taken place and he had offered to give evidence on behalf of the defendants.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12152484
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12148753
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12149700
What has now emerged is that according to an interview Mark Stone aka Mark Kennedy has given for tomorrow’s Mail on Sunday, he had taped the meeting and the police had withheld this crucial piece of evidence from the defence lawyers.
In this Mail on Sunday interview Mark Kennedy aka Mark Stone claims to be in hiding, in fear of his life, living in a barricaded room in the US, but has nevertheless managed to give an interview to the Mail on Sunday and discuss book deals.
How much money was he paid? We know Judas got 30 pieces of silver.
He claims there to be 15 working under cover to his knowledge.
He claims he recorded the Ratcliffe meeting, thus there was no evidence of conspiracy. If true, why no disclosure by the Police to the defendants?
Mark Stone aka Mark Kennedy is not the only one to get caught. CAAT was infiltrated by someone working for BAE Systems.
But the underlying question is why? This is political policing. This is not Tunisia or Iran or the former Soviet Union. This has taken place in a supposedly democratic country. The police should not be going undercover, spying on, or interfering in the democratic process.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/01/472102.html
People have the right to protest. That is how change takes place. The police should be protecting our right to protest.
Have the police not got better things to do? Are there not criminals to catch, fraudsters, drug dealers, people traffickers?
Credit where credit is due to the Mail on Sunday, they have at least interviewed the guy, not trawled Indymedia UK then reported as though a scoop.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/12/second-undercover-police-officer-unmasked
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/12/second-undercover-police-officer
BBC Two Newsnight a few nights back had good coverage and raised some very serious questions.
One of the issues raised is that the police deliberately withheld vital evidence, evidence that showed that those charged were innocent. Worse still, the police are still running a smear campaign by falsely claiming the direct action would have put lives at risk. In his interview with the Mail on Sunday Mark Kennedy has shown that was not the case, a point reiterated the following day by one of those charged, Bradley Day. [see Ratcliffe case: Police smear campaign continues despite Mark Kennedy revelations]
There has to be a full and comprehensive Independent Public Inquiry, not of the activities of Mark Kennedy aka Mark Stone per se who appears to be the tip of the iceberg but of political infiltration by the state which is not acceptable in a democratic society.
Top story in What A Disaster (Monday 17 January 2011).
Also see
Mark Stone gives his first interview to the Mail on Sunday
Ex-undercover Pc Mark Kennedy says he is a ‘scapegoat
Mark Kennedy accuses senior officers of suppressing vital evidence
How beautiful redhead girlfriend blew eco-spy’s cover after finding passport with his real name
Mark Kennedy and the impenetrable world of police moles
Undercover police officer says he fears for his life
Tricked, betrayed, violated: did police spy use sex to win activists’ trust?
Mark Kennedy: A journey from undercover cop to ‘bona fide’ activist
Undercover officer spied on green activists
Revealed: Second undercover police officer who posed as activist
Second police officer to infiltrate environmental activists unmasked
Ratcliffe case: Police smear campaign continues despite Mark Kennedy revelations
Mark Kennedy infiltrated German anti-fascists, Bundestag told
Tags: activists, Climate Camp, democracy, human rights, Mark Kennedy, Mark Stone, police infiltration, political police, protest, Ratcliffe
Keithpp's Blog 
January 16, 2011 at 3:39 am |
Someone should check out just how widespread these pre-emptive arrests are.
Is there a pattern across the western world?
I’m sure you know all about the pre-emptive arrests of activists that go on in the US and Canada to, so perhaps someone putting it all together would give a clearer picture of what is going, how co-ordinated it is across nations on and how serious a threat this is to our democracies.
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