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PRODID:-//Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance - ECPv4.7.4//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance
X-ORIGINAL-URL:http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC+0:20170215T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC+0:20170215T210000
DTSTAMP:20211128T053138
CREATED:20170128T012059Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170129T154315Z
UID:2333-1487185200-1487192400@campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com
SUMMARY:Spycops and Strikers: From Grunwick to Now
DESCRIPTION:Spycops and Strikers is a public event in London on 15th February\, part of a series of Grunwick 40 memorial events. \nIn 1976\, six workers walked out of Grunwick Film Processing Laboratory in Willesden and ignited an historic two-year dispute which united thousands to demand better rights for poorly treated workers. The workforce had a significant number of Asian women who were at the forefront of the struggle. \nThe events of 1976-78 are still remembered as an important moment not just in local history\, but in the fight for equal rights for women and ethnic minorities. They brought people of different races and backgrounds together in support of the rights of migrant women workers\, shattered stereotypes about Asian women in Britain\, and changed the face of trade unionism. Grunwick 40 was set up to commemorate this vital moment. \nSuch a large\, diverse and unified movement attracted serious attention from the Metropolitan Police. \nSince the exposure of Mark Kennedy as an undercover officer inside the environmental movement in 2010\, many more ‘spycops’ have been found out by the activists they spied upon. We now know that since 1968\, the Special Demonstration Squad infiltrated political and activist groups that they considered a threat\, including the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations\, anti-apartheid movement and CND. \nWe also know that prominent supporters of the Grunwick strike were bugged and followed and that there were attempts to infiltrate the strike committee. There is now a judge-led Inquiry into Undercover Policing\, the Pitchford Inquiry; should Grunwick strikers and their supporters be involved to find out more? \nPeople supporting the Grunwick Strikers remember the heavy surveillance back in the days. Jack Dromey\, secretary of Brent Trades Council at the time of the strike\, recalled that: \n‘I discovered after the dispute\, from good policemen who talked to me in the thirty years since\, that I was bugged at home\, that the trades and labour hall was bugged\, that there was a period that\, we were followed\, some of us in the dispute\, and also attempts were made to infiltrate the strike committee\, so there was a high degree of surveillance. \n‘It was an extraordinary period of political paranoia\, the security services tended to put two and two together and make Moscow.’ \nIn 2006 the Metropolitan Police released an inch-thick file on the Grunwick Industrial Dispute (1976-78)\, following a Freedom of Information request by journalist Solomon Hughes. The Met confirmed the existence of six relevant files\, but decided to only disclose part of the documents. Ever since the Met have tried to bury the papers\, even making previously disclosed files secret again. \nWhat was released\, is now shared at the Special Branch Files Project\, a live-archive of declassified files focussing on the surveillance of political activists and campaigners. \nThe Grunwick files consist of a collection of Special Branch reports\, police reports\, and additional memoranda\, documenting the policing of the Grunwick pickets\, surveillance of strikers and their supporters between June and October 1977. \nJoin us to discuss political policing and how we should respond to the Inquiry. \nSPEAKERS\nEveline Lubbers (Undercover Research Group)\nSolomon Hughes (journalist who uncovered secret files on Grunwick)\nHarriet Wistrich (lawyer for people spied upon)\nMarcia Rigg (Sean Rigg Campaign)\nKevin Blowe (Netpol) \nDATE – Wednesday 15 February 2017\, 19:00-21:00 \nVENUE – Malet Suite\, Student Central\, 2nd Floor\, Malet Street London WC1E 7HY \nFree entry\, though places are limited so it’s advisable to reserve a seat in advance. \nHelp spread the word with the Facebook event \nOrganised by Grunwick 40 in co-operation with the Special Branch Files Project\, the Undercover Research Group and the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance. \nShare this:FacebookTwitterTumblrEmailMoreLinkedInRedditPinterestPocketPrint
URL:http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/event/2333/
LOCATION:Malet Suite\, Student Central\, 2nd Floor\, Malet Street\, London\, WC1E 7HY
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