If you haven't been following the Undercover Policing Inquiry, Wednesday 31st July is a great day to start.

It's the first of three days of questioning of this guy, #spycops officer Trevor Morris, known to the activists he targeted as "Anthony 'Bobby' Lewis" or "Bobby McGee" 🧵 "HN78" Trevor Morris was deployed undercover between 1991 - 1995 infiltrating the Dalston branch of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) and the Anti-Nazi League in East London.


We heard from 2 women deceived into intimate relationships by Morris on Monday:ucpi.org.uk/individuals/hn…

The #spycopsinquiry starts with Summary of evidence for former #spycops officer HN 301 alias "Bob Stubbs" he was recruited for his "dark skin" he infiltrated the International Socialists / Socialist Workers Party 1971 - 1976 He says that HN343 alias "John Clinton" was like an informal mentor to him.
He was given a car and had a drivers licence in his cover name.
He got a job as a lab tech in order to improve his cover at the start of the employment as a Palestine activist also worked there.

Here's a quick #Senedd2021 thread, if anyone gives dau gachiad:
As an active anarchist, I organised Vote Nobody campaigns & spoilt my ballot at election time. By the time Social Campaign Group had control of the Labour party leadership, I was so politically inactive it seemed... ... almost childish not back their tilt at government in 2017. I was never so naive as to think it could change any of the fundamental problems of this society. But if you don't recognise what a unique opportunity the possibility could have been; for a more peaceful world...

We are back at the #spycopsinquiry with the reading of Ernest Rodker’s written statement by Oli Rodker. The whole of the 50 pages of the written statement will not be read out.

we are first treated to a photo of the Irish Liberation Press, before the correct photo of Ernest is shown

Extra follow up question for Piers Corbyn at the #spycopsinquiry about the other groups as opposed to the IMG who controlled other groups instead of supporting them. He says he was thinking of the IS/SWP who tried to be controlling. The IMG wanted to increase involvement He says the anarchists would just turn up and get involved with anything without controlling anything.

Piers Corbyn is now asked about his involvement in Irish politics. He's asked if this was via the IMG. He says he was always interested since a childhood visit to Galway. #spycopsinquiry He's asked if there was an attempt by the IMG to take over the Irish Solidarity Campaign. Piers Corbyn said there was no attempt to control things from his point of view

Sir John Mitting calls HN347 one of two "honest witnesses" as we end for the day.

I guess this is in contrast to other witnesses from this week?

Is he taking the piss??? #spycopsinquiry I let out a loud "Fuck Off" at this statement. I stand by that.

But I do realise it does make the jobs of members of the @ucpinquiry staff more difficult, as the viewing room is shared with police representatives.

Diane is very clear that "Ethel" was not an activist but was a workmate who came to a meeting with her one time. Whilst waiting for the meeting to start #spycops officer HN45 Dave Robertson came and grabbed "Ethel" by the wrist and dragged her outside She was startled and surprised, and said "oh there's Dave" he came straight over and took control of her physically and said "we have to talk outside" and removed her from the room.

A #spycops report from a 1973 private meeting of the Britain Vietnam Solidarity Front about demonstrating the opposition to the inauguration of Nixon.
@dianelangford explains the role of American imperialism despite his visit to China There were only 5 people present at the meeting, one of them being HN45, another being Digby Jacks
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digby_Jac…

We are now shown #spycops HN45's report from January 1971 again. Which includes a great amount of detail about the organisational plans of the Women's Liberation Front and that they were members of SOGAT.

The union was not called SOGAT until 1985. When was this report written? The Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT) was formed in 1972 after the breakdown of the attempted amalgamation process between the National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers and the National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants.

We are back looking at the Revolutionary Marxist Leninist League.

We are looking at a #spycops report from 22nd January 1971 about a meeting in @dianelangford's home.

Q. It took three and half hours
A. I'm afraid so... It is another report from HN45 alais "Dave Robertson". This was a tiny group meeting in people's homes for many hours. @dianelangford says she finds it hard to believe that he was in the room.

Today was the last day of the #spycopsinquiry for a while. The last evidence hearing of the this tranche of the inquiry was one of the more illuminating of the all the questioning of former #spycops officers so far. Though there was just as many lapses of memory for HN345 as... ... previous officers, he was more forthcoming than most. The blanket denial of any knowledge of the Mangrove Nine (subject of the recent #SmallAxe film) by the only #spycops officer who had infiltrated Black Power groups in the UK in 1971 is so completely ridiculous...

Thread of Media articles on Day 14 of the #SpyCopsInquiry.

Today was the last of Phase 1, Tranche 1. It included evidence summaries of 4 former #spycops & 1 evidence hearing

Police spies may have had no choice over sexual relationships, officer claims
theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/n… Spycop compares officers tricking women into sexual relationships with a covert drug squad ‘sampling the product’

morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/spyc…

Media articles thread for Day 13 of #SpyCopsInquiry

Only session was evidence hearing of former #spycops officer HN348 "Sandra Davies" who infiltrated Women's Liberation '71-'73.

Officer wasted her time spying on group pushing for equal pay, inquiry told
theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/n… Spycop who infiltrated women's rights groups in the ’70s says her work was not worthwhile

morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/spyc…

Media articles on Day 6 of the #spycopsinquiry, a thread.

Undercover #spycops officer rekindled relationship seven years later, inquiry told
theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/n… Woman was tricked into relationship with undercover police officer until 2015 - four years AFTER conduct of Met Police moles was made public, '#Spycops inquiry hears

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8…

Ahead of the restart of the #spycops inquiry at 10am here are some media articles from over the weekend:

My fiancé was an undercover police #spycops officer who was already married with children [paywall]
telegraph.co.uk/women/life/fia… #Spycops probe accused of snubbing women's ‘pivotal’ role in uncovering the scandal
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/spyc…

I didn't write up any reflections of yesterday's #spycopsinquiry hearing because after five days of live tweeting I was in urgent need of a big bag of cans. But I think it's fair to say that the submissions highlighted some of the worst ways in which #spycops undermined... ... not only the lives of the people they targeted, the causes those people campaigned for, but also for the very society we live in today. The opening statement on behalf of the NUM highlighted the way that the 84/85 strike was subject to the most unrelenting attack not just...

Here's today's thread of media articles on the #SpyCopsInquiry

Family of murdered teenager worry the ‘role of racism’ in undercover #spycops policing will ‘remain hidden’

morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/fami… '#Spycops' inquiry hears how Piers Corbyn was a surveillance target for almost two decades after joining the squatting movement in the 1970s

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8…

Discovering that they were subject to spying by #spycops has had profound and long lasting impact on many Core Participants and others. They have some limited information about what took place, but many, many unanswered questions remain. This Inquiry should make clear recommendations to ensure that undercover policing of this kind does not happen again.

Geoff Sheppard and Andrew Clarke, were convicted of offences including arson committed in July 1987. They were alleged to have been involved in the making and then planting of incendiary devices intended to set off sprinkler systems in Debenhams stores. At their trial it was alleged that Mr Clarke and Mr Sheppard was connected to the devices which were planted by a third person. What was not revealed was that the third man who participated in this activity with them, planting devices, was, in fact, #spycops officer: Bob Lambert.

Dr Graham Smith and Mark Metcalf: Colin Roach Centre and Hackney Community Defence Association: The Trevor Monerville and ‘Justice for Tunay’ campaigns formed the HCDA, with the aim of providing the victims of police abuses of power with a campaigning voice. In 1993 Dr Graham Smith & Mark Metcalf were involved in the establishment of the Colin Roach Centre (“CRC”), named after Colin Roach who was shot dead 10 years previously in Stoke Newington police station. The CRC was broken into and its computers were destroyed. #spycops