Thread by @copscampaign

The #SpyCopsInquiry starts today with a reading of 'summaries of evidence' from 4 different #spycops deployed between 1968 & 1974

HN333 - served 9 months from late 1968. Real & cover names are withheld, as is the name of the group he infiltrated. Worked in Special Branch before. Hadn't been undercover before the SDS, then went to the Oct 1968 Vietnam War demo.

HN333 had cover name, employment & address. Unusually, he spent most evenings at cover address. Infiltrated a left wing group that doesn't exist any more. It was 'a loose association'

HN333 became ill & was withdrawn from cover. It was a planned withdrawal, with excuses given to group. He had a written debrief about welfare, and went on to Special Branch.

You can read more about HN333 on p122 of the Opening Statement made by the Counsel to the Inquiry two weeks ago: ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/upl…

HN333 says he didn't do anything wrong undercover

HN339 was a #spycops officer 1970-71 as 'Stewart Goodman' having joined Special Branch in the 60s. He spied on the Campaign Against Racial Discrimination, reporting from Oct 1970, though he'd had a cover flat from at least April that year

HN339 was married, there was no welfare check on the imapct of being undercover on his family. He reported on the anti-apartheid Dambusters Mobilisation Committee, reporting until 1971. Also reported on Anti-Apartheid Movement conference.

You can read more about HN339 on p138 of the Opening Statement made by the Counsel to the Inquiry two weeks ago: ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/upl…

HN339 joined International Socialists, and became Lambeth branch treasurer. 'Effectively right hand man' to Secretary. Reported on them Feb-Nov 1971, both public & private meetings.

HN339 reported on a rift in IS, which was continued by HN343 after. HN339 did some flyposting but nothing else illegal. Had a car crash that involved police, & managers had to bail him out, which led to end of deployment

HN349 targeted anarchist groups in early 1970s. Real name, cover name & names of groups all withheld by Inquiry. Joined SDS after short time in Special Branch. No formal training, but read reports of others at first & met other #spycops

HN349 wasn't tasked to spy on any group, just attend demos and know activists. Eventually sent into anarchist groups. Said his cover wasn't well developed (no cover job). Deployment 'unsuccessful' as he couldn't gain anyone's trust. After 9 months he was withdrawn

You can read more about HN349 on p141 of the Opening Statement made by the Counsel to the Inquiry two weeks ago: ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/upl…

After withdrawal, HN349 worked in SDS back office, then into Special Branch. Says most SB officers were aware of the SDS. He occasionally asked SDS for specific info. He says he didn't do anything wrong undercover.

HN343 'John Clinton' was a spycop early 1971-Sept 1974, infiltrating Hammersmith & Fulham branch of International Socialists. Says Special Branch had lots of interviews & testing before taking him on. Unaware of the SDS before joining, but had heard 'vague whispers'

HN343 fell ill just after joining SDS, which delayed deployment. Says cover was 'basic', cover employment was van driver, & was provided with a van. Earliest report of his found is Oct 1971, though early is Croydon branch of International Socialists

HN43 chose Hammersmith & Fulham IS because 'a lot of Irish activity was discussed'. Says joining was easy as they were keen for members. Cultivated flaky persona to avoid being given a role. SDS was both public order & counter subversion, he understood

HN343 says violence at demos was 'rarely from IS members' but came from others [yet he didn't spy on those ones!]. Says International Socialists were subversive because they wanted proletariat to rise up.

HN343 reported on a lot of internal IS stuff, also trade union activity, Irish matters, women's liberations, tenants rights, & anti-apartheid. He had a free hand on what to report, was guided by his understanding of what Special Branch wanted to know

HN343 had weekly meetings with managers at safe house. Says he grew tired of the life & ended his deployment in late 1973. Told comrades he was going travelling. Doesn't remember any debrief or support after. says it all 'changed him as a person'

You can read more about HN343 on p154 of the Opening Statement made by the Counsel to the Inquiry two weeks ago: ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/upl…

HN343 says he is a very private person now, which he attributes to his time as a #spycops officer. Retied from police after 30 years. He says he didn't do anything wrong when undercover.

The Inquiry will be uploading documents relating to other members of the squad today. These include HN346 Jill Mosdell (see p136), HN338 (see p161),

and two of the #spycops managers: Phil Saunders (p180) and HN294 (p186)

Inquiry will publish these summaries today, along with summaries of 5 #spycops who haven't given statements:

HN346 Jill Mosell (cover name not given), spied on Stop The Seventy Tour & the Anti-Apartheid Movement

HN338 (real & cover names not given) spied on Vietnam Solidarity Campaign, International Marxist Group Notting Hill & West London, & Anti-Internment League
HN1251/371 Phil Saunders, SDS manager
HN332 (no names given), DI in the SDS & subsequently head of the unit

HN394, (no names given), DS then DI in SDS, then head of the unit.

The Inquiry will now break for 10 minutes, after which it will be back with a live transcript, which can be followed on our live tweets or by listening to @out_of_lives reading it out youtube.com/channel/UC9vFz…