Thread by @MarkWatts_1

Day 10 of #spycops inquiry: two #spycops due to be called, first from management/back office, second used cover name, “Douglas Edwards”.

Summaries of evidence from three further #spycops – including “Don De Freitas” and “William Paul Lewis” – to be read out by inquiry lawyer.

Summary of statement by #spycop “Don De Freitas” read to inquiry: he was in SDS during 1968. He worked elsewhere in Special Branch before + after his brief time in SDS.

He targeted Vietnam Solidarity Campaign, and posed as boyfriend of “Margaret White”:

https://twitter.com/MarkWatts_1/status/1326796371140116480

Summary of statement by #spycop “William/Bill Paul Lewis” read to inquiry: he was in SDS 1968-9; says that any #spycop arrested while undercover would have the issue resolved later.

Summary of statement by a third #spycop, cypher “HN322”, says that he did not use a cover name.

For what it is worth, these summaries of statements by #spycops are being read to inquiry and live streamed.

Inquiry does not even seem to be publishing them (did not do so for yesterday’s summaries).

Two further #spycops to be called at 10.30am, but will not be live streamed.

Transcripts of hearings for #spycops inquiry are, however, being published at the end of each day, so the summaries of evidence can be found in there.

A bit unwieldy, but #SpyCopsInquiry seems to like that. As did #CSAinquiry.

DC Joan Hillier, now retired, says in statement to #SpyCopsInquiry that she joined Met’s Special Branch in 1968, transferring to #spycops unit SDS from its beginning in July 1968.

She does not think that she used an undercover identity when attending “the odd public meeting”.

DC Joan Hillier to #SpyCopsInquiry: “We would regularly attend public meetings as part of our duties as Special Branch officers: at the meetings we would dress down in order to blend in and wouldn't have given any real names.”

DC Joan Hillier tells #SpyCopsInquiry that the Special Demonstration Squad was set up in the wake of an anti-Vietnam war protest in early 1968, “to ensure there was no repeat of the problems that occurred at the March 1968 demonstration...”

DC Joan Hillier to #SpyCopsInquiry: “I don't know who set up the SDS, but I was given to understand it was the Home Secretary, not that he said ‘lets form “the hairies”’, as we called the SDS, but that he put pressure on the police to come up with a solution.”

“SDS officers would go beyond just attending the public meetings, they would try and ‘get in’ with the organisers and try to get invited to the private meetings of the groups,” DC Joan Hillier tells #SpyCopsInquiry in her statement.

DC Joan Hillier attended “the odd meeting” of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign under cover, but from October 1968 “was only involved in office activities” for the SDS, she tells #SpyCopsInquiry.

The #spycops unit SDS was based in an office of the 18th floor of Scotland Yard.

But #spycops unit SDS also operated out of two properties in west London, DC Joan Hillier tells #SpyCopsInquiry.

“These weren’t safe houses as such, they were offices, I did however sleep there a lot so that the neighbours thought someone lived there.”

DC Joan Hillier confirms to #SpyCopsInquiry that Special Branch acted as MI5’s police force.

She says in her statement: “We, as Special Branch officers, were an extension of MI5, were agents for them, carrying out enquiries on their behalf.”

On DC Joan Hillier’s suggestion that the home secretary put pressure on police to set up the Special Demonstration Squad, the #spycops unit, in the wake of disorder at an anti-Vietnam war protest, James Callaghan had that role at the time in Harold Wilson’s Labour government.

Following my earlier tweet on failure of #SpyCopsInquiry to publish “summaries” of evidence read out in hearings, there has been a change of heart.

It has published the actual statements for #spycops whose evidence was “summarised” today – “summaries” that missed key points...

“Don De Freitas”, #spycop in 1968, says this about the setting up of SDS: “It must have gone up to the Home Secretary since this was an unprecedented squad and would’ve required funding and authorisation.”

The home sec was then James Callaghan.

This corroborates Joan Hillier.

Referring to a message relayed by head of the SDS following the peaceful anti-Vietnam war protest in October 1968, “Don De Freitas” says in statement: “I do recall, I think, Conrad Dixon telling us that the Home Secretary at the time had passed on his commendation to the squad.”

“Don De Freitas” tells #SpyCopsInquiry in statement “I think the squad was successful, hence why it was commended by the Home Secretary and continued in its role after the October 1968 demonstration.”

“William/Bill Lewis” also tells #SpyCopsInquiry in his statement about the part played by the home secretary, then James Callaghan, in the setting up of the Special Demonstration Squad within Special Branch following disorder at the earlier anti-Vietnam war protest in March 1968.

“William/Bill Lewis” says: “I understood the MPS Commissioner had been told by the Home Secretary that this could not be allowed to happen again.”

The Met commissioner talked to the head of Special Branch, and Conrad Dixon was asked to plan how to obtain relevant intelligence.

“Bill Lewis” says in statement to #SpyCopsInquiry: “As recall, a man from the Home Office attended the SDS offices, probably once a month, and would reimburse us in cash for the expenses we had incurred.”

“We had regular attendances from a man who I understood was part of the Home Office who would come with a briefcase of cash to pay for our incurred expenses,” adds “Bill Lewis” in his statement to #SpyCopsInquiry.

“Doug Edwards”, due to be called to #SpyCopsInquiry this afternoon, says in his statement that he was transferred within Special Branch to SDS in late 1968.

“I did not know what I was joining: the SDS was so secret that nobody outside of the Squad talked about it or its work. ”

“Doug Edwards” to #SpyCopsInquiry: “This secrecy was drilled into us right from the start. Indeed, it was not explained to me before I joined the SDS the sort of work I would be doing.”

All he was told was to grow his hair and a beard, and get an ID and a job, which he did.

Between 1968 and 1970, “Doug Edwards” initially infiltrated anarchist groups in east London, he says in statement.

As a #spycop, he joined the “Independent Labour Party” – not part of the Labour party – as a means of targeting other groups, such as anti-apartheid campaigners.

A #spycop report of May 1970, published by #SpyCopsInquiry today, suggests that Special Branch opened a file on Peter Hain in 1969.

He was of interest to #spycops as an anti-apartheid campaigner. He was later Labour MP, cabinet minister (inc Northern Ireland secretary) & Lord.

Note: Sir John Mitting, #SpyCopsInquiry chairman, again blocked Rajiv Menon, barrister for Tariq Ali and other non-state core participants, from asking questions on all but one of six topics that he wanted to raise with DC Joan Hillier.

Rajiv Menon was allowed to ask DC Joan Hillier whether a female #spycop colleague (now deceased) had “some kind of intimate relationship or go out with a member of the Notting Hill Vietnam Solidarity Campaign”?

Hillier said that she did not know this. “I doubt it very much.”

Ruth Brander, barrister for several non-state core participants, inc 20 women deceived into sexual relationships with #spycops, asked Sir John Mitting to set aside time to hear an application on the scope of questioning for witnesses.

He undertook to reflect upon her request.

First known case of a #spycop having an intimate relationship with a target may go back to 1968, when the Met’s Special Demonstration Squad, began.

This picks up on my earlier tweet about Rajiv Menon’s intervention today re female undercover officer.

theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/n…