Tuesday 29 March 2016

Pitchford Enquiry: police spy names demanded

1. High Court latest 
The next hearing at the High Court blacklisting litigation is Thursday 7th April.
Blacklist Support Group (BSG) stance is the same as always. We want to see the directors of the multinational companies that orchestrated this human rights scandal to give evidence in the High Court under oath. Justice demands that however rich and powerful, individuals guilty of wrong doing be called to account. Whatever the outcome in the trial, BSG will continue the fight to expose the full extent of the blacklisting conspiracy in every avenue available to us: Legally - Politically - Industrially 
  
2. Pitchford public inquiry
Blacklist Support Group and a number of blacklisted activists have been granted 'core participant' status in the public inquiry into undercover police spying on activists. On Tuesday & Wednesday this week the Pitchford inquiry has spent 2 days debating the policy of 'Neither Confirm Nor Deny' by the Metropolitan Police. NCND means they refuse to answer any questions about undercover police officers whatsoever even when the officers has self identified themselves in the media! The police want to be allowed to adopt this position throughout the entire public inquiry. As you can imagine, there was a lot of opposition. 
NCND is a deliberate wall of silence erected by the police to cover up their wrong doing. NCND has no legal basis, it is simply a recent policy decision by the police.  Blacklist Support Group along with the other non-state core participants demand that all the cover names of the undercover police from the political spying units are released along with a list of the campaigns they infiltrated and inquiry hearings should be heard in public. Some of the women and others who have been abuse and had their human rights violated are fully entitled to anonymity but the police officers involved in wrong doing should not be allowed to get away scot free without any public scrutiny. If NCND is allowed to stand, it will make a mockery of the entire public inquiry.
Helen Steel was the only activist to make a submission - the star of the entire 2 days. The judgement is excepted in a few weeks. 
Full transcripts available here: https://www.ucpi.org.uk/hearings/

3. From Blacklisted to Shortlisted 
'Blacklisted' book has been shortlisted for the prestigious Bread & Roses book award - the ceremony is 7th May at London Radical Bookfair 
Phil Chamberlain and Dave Smith view the book as another strand the BSG campaign and want to thank everyone who has supported the cause over the years. 

4. Safety

5. AOB 
The Reel News video of the BSG occupation of Skanska HQ has had over 16,000 views on facebook in a week. 
Spread this one far & wide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEGngBmHKaA

If union branches are making financial donations at their AGM, below are a list of campaigns that have supported the Blacklist Support Group and are in need of some support:  
Construction Rank & File siteworkers@virginmedia.com
Reel News info@reelnews.co.uk
Hazards sub@hazards.org
Families Against Corporate Killers mail@gmhazards.org.uk
Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance info@campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com 
Undercover Research Group http://undercoverresearch.net/donate/
National Shop Stewards Network http://shopstewards.net/join-affiliate/
Unite the Resistance http://uniteresist.org/contact-us/

Enjoy the Easter break everyone  

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