Subversion, sabotage and spying: Political policing and racism in the UK
The full line up and timetable of April’s crucial spycops conference has been released.
Building on a hugely successful conference in 2015, The Monitoring Group and the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies have teamed up again to produce an impressive line up of speakers to examine the role and impact of undercover policing and the surveillance of protest groups and ‘suspect communities’.
Hosted by London South Bank University School of Law & Social Sciences, the conference is supported by Imran Khan and Partners and Tottenham Rights.
About the conference
Government policy continues to invent and punish ‘suspect and targeted communities’ and frustrate genuine attempts to hold its agencies to account. This event will examine the history and disastrous impact of the policing of social and justice movements. It will open a dialogue on ‘accountability’ so that a long-awaited ‘momentum for change’ can be driven by those directly affected by disproportionality and discrimination.
In light of the upcoming Undercover Policing Inquiry the conference will seek to develop a strategic alliance between those directly affected by undercover policing (so far 170+ non-state individuals have been granted core participant status at the Inquiry), civil society and the public so that the Inquiry adopts a broader, open and more rigorous approach.
Register now
Registrations are now open. Please help spread the word about the conference via your networks, using this link.
Agenda and Speakers
Saturday: Policing of black, asian and ‘suspect communities’ – spying, lying, dying and racism
09.30 Registration
10.00 Welcome
10.15 Political policing: Setting the context — Mark McGovern, Tony Bunyan, Colin Prescod
11.15 Question and answer session
11.30 Break
11.45 Policing of ‘suspect communities’ — Paddy Hill, Salma Yaqoob (TBC), Patrick Williams, Gareth Peirce, and John McDonnell MP, the Shadow Chancellor
12.45 Question and answer session
12.55 Introduction to the workshop leaders
13.00 Lunch
13.45 Workshops
Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance, Undercover Research Group, Blacklisted Trade Unionists, Black Justice Campaigns; JENGbA
14.45 From ‘suspect communities’ to targeting of campaigns against injustice – Suresh Grover and Deborah Coles
15.15 Question and answer session
15.30 Break
15.45 Why the Undercover Policing Inquiry is important – Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Imran Khan, Kate Wilson, Stafford Scott
16.45 Question and answer session
17.00 Close
Sunday: Spycops and the Undercover Policing Inquiry – is accountability possible or a pipe dream?
10.00 Registration
10.30 History of the Special Demonstration Squad and Spycops, Hearne and Ellison – Rob Evans
10.50 Question and answer session
11.00 Spycops – The spied upon speak out – Baroness Jenny Jones, Piers Corbyn, Helen Steel, Dave Smith, John Monerville, Mark Wadsworth
12.00 Question and answer session
12.30 Spycops – the hidden voices – Janet Alder, Alastair Morgan
13.00 Lunch
The post lunch session will focus on the challenges posed by the Undercover Policing Inquiry and how to address them
13.45 Spycops – a voice that should be heard — Statement from Peter Francis Ex-Special Demonstration Squad
14.00 An overview of the Undercover Policing Inquiry to date
Speakers to be announced
14.30 Holding the Inquiry to account — Shamik Dutta, Courtenay Griffiths QC, Imran Khan, Harriet Wistrich, Michael Mansfield QC
15.00 Break
15.15 Workshops on the Undercover Policing Inquiry
Workshops to be announced
16.20 Feedback from workshops
16.45 Conclusions and next steps
17.00 Close
The timetable may be subject to change due to developments around the Inquiry. Delegates will be informed of any changes.