Today was scheduled as a day off at the #SpyCopsInquiry, but there will now be 2 things. Dave Smith @DaveBlacklist, blacklisted trade unionist & core participant at the Inquiry, was due to give his opening statement last week but contracted Covid.
Dave Smith @DaveBlacklist will give the statement to the #SpyCopsInquiry today at 10am, & it will be live streamed. As always, we'll be live tweeting.
After that, a procedural hearing on lawyers questioning witnesses after Counsel to the Inquiry has finished the main questioning
The #SpyCopsInquiry will be back tomorrow at 12 noon with the opening statement from Helen Steel @helensteel12, livelong environmental & social justice activist, who was deceived into a relationship by #SpyCops officer John Dines. After her, we’ll hear evidence from spycops
Evidence from #spycops will be heard 11.30-3.30 on Thursday, after which the #SpyCopsInquiry takes a long break to assess what it’s heard over the last 3weeks & prepare for the hearings covering the Special Demonstration Squad 1973-82, which are expected to be around April 2021.
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Today the #SpyCopsInquiry starts at noon with an opening statement by Helen Steel. Perhaps best known for the #McLibel trial, Helen is a lifelong campaigner for environmental & social justice issues. She was deceived into a long-term relationship by undercover officer John Dines
The rest of the day is given over to evidence from officer HN 348, which seems odd as she appear to have had about as minor a deployment as is possible for #spycops - long ago, not for long, in 1 group that don't appear to have warranted spying on even by the police's standards.
HN348 infiltrated the Women's Liberation Front for about a year 1972-73. A small feminist group with Maoist leanings, its meetings were up to 12 people, round at one of the member’s houses. She says action was mostly just taking part in demonstrations with placards and banners.
The #SpyCopsInquiry is now holding a hearing with barrister Ruth Brander, Rajiv Menon, Oliver Sanders, & Skelton about non-state core participants' barristers get to ask more questions of witnesses in the hearings
Mitting asks what the 4 of them think. Should procedural hearings have access for others? Brander says they want something more than the room for 60 people with screens.
Mitting originally wanted them in a large courtroom but then due to secrecy he decided to have meetings with lawyers of both sides. Now evidence hearings have begun, would it be good to have all parties' people present when figuring out procedure?
Dave Smith, blacklisted trade unionist & core participant at the #SpyCopsInquiry, begins his opening statement. He speaks on behalf of the Blacklist Support Group, representing union members who were unlawfully blacklisted by major construction firms
Mitting says Smith can't use the real name of #spycops officer Carlo Neri, which is Carlo Soracchi. Smith says he won't do it. But we will. This is Carlo Soracchi
Smith: When BSG first spoke about #blacklisting for union activities we were ignored by the authorities & ridiculed as conspiracy theorists. But it isn’t a conspiracy theory, it’s conspiracy fact – & it involves the collusion of the police and the security services
This afternoon we are due to hear from 'HN340' - who infiltrated various groups - including the International Marxist Group (IMG), North London Red Circle & Irish Solidarity Campaign.
He was deployed between 1969-72, and is now known to have used the cover names 'Alan Bailey' & 'Alan Nixon'.
More about him: powerbase.info/index.php/Alan…
Ms Hummerstone is asking the questions from the @ucpinquiry today.
She will be referring to this afternoon's witness as 'HN340' but understands that he used the cover name 'Andy Bailey' [nb: not Alan]
We are about to start the 4th day of 'evidential hearings' at the #SpyCopsInquiry
This morning we have a former officer, HN336 (who used the cover-name 'Dick Epps'), giving evidence, so there will be a ten-minute delay.
Watch the transcript via
Counsel to the Inquiry David Barr started by asking N336 some questions.
Barr: Your general police training, pre-Special Branch – did it cover entering private dwellings?
HN336: yes. it covered search warrants etc.
Barr: what about training once you joined Special Branch?
HN336: No, there was nothing specific about attending political meetings
He did this before joining the SDS & like other SB officers learnt 'on the job'