Spycops hearings to resume
On Monday 2 February, the Undercover Policing Inquiry will start Phase 2 of its Tranche 3 hearings. This phase of the Spycops inquiry will cover Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) operations from the early 1990s to 2008, and the squad’s ignominious end, when the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU) replaced it.
Staggering scale of Spycops abuse
The inquiry has revealed the staggering scale of the abuses carried out by Britain’s secret political policing units and their long-term infiltration deployments. During February and March, the Inquiry will hear from five former undercover officers from the SDS:
- James Boyling (“Jim Sutton”) undercover from 1995-2000
- “Jason Bishop” undercover from 1998-2006
- Carlo Soracchi (“Carlo Neri”) undercover from 2000-2006
- “Simon Wellings” undercover from 2001-2007
- Robert Hastings (“Rob Harrison”) undercover from 2004-2007
Evidence will also come from civilians affected by those deployments, from targeted environmental groups like Earth First!, the Genetic Engineering Network and Reclaim the Streets, animal rights groups and hunt saboteurs, trade unionists and anti-Fascists, anti-militarist campaigns like Stop the War Coalition and Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), and anti-globalisation protests around the world, including at the G8 summits in Genoa, Italy (2001) and Scotland (2005).
Boyling, Soracchi and Hastings all deceived women into sexual relationships and several of those women will give evidence about some of the extreme abuse they suffered at the hands of the police.
And on 12 March the inquiry will hear evidence from Patricia Armani Da Silva about spying on the campaign for justice for Jean Charles de Menezes, who police shot dead at Stockwell Underground Station on 22 July 2005.
See here for a timetable of all those due to give evidence live and in person.
Hearings will take place at the International Dispute Resolution Centre, opposite St Paul’s Cathedral. For live coverage of hearings follow @tombfowler on social media & see twitch.tv/spycopstv.
Groups working with those affected by Spycops deployments include:
Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance
Featured image via the Canary
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