Peter Weatherby QC, who is representing 18 individuals and organisations who have been spied on, played a video of an officer known as EN34, whose undercover name was “Lynn Watson”, on Tuesday.
In the clip, filmed in Leeds in 2004, she appears in costume and clown make-up, waving a feather duster, as part of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (Circa) – a street performance campaign group.
Mr Weatherby said EN34 infiltrated the group, along with a series of other peace and environmental campaigns, over a five-year period during which she “befriended and tricked countless individuals”.
He also showed a picture of HN118, whose assumed name was “Simon Wellings”, who he said used his time undercover to build an orange military tank out of plywood and cardboard.
The officer was photographed at an anti-arms trade protest in the tank with the Globalise Resistance group, which he infiltrated from 2002 until he was unmasked in 2004.
Mr Weatherby asked: “How is that legitimate policing?”
He told the inquiry: “The absurdity of investing massive resources into infiltrating a clown army and groups which oppose wars and the arms trade is well illustrated by these images.
“This is what the debacle of the last 50 years of undercover political policing looks like.”
“It goes from the farcical yet deeply damaging involvement of the state in activist organisations and campaigning to the outrage of the deceitful relationships of trust formed with our CPs (core participants), their children, their families and friends, and to the abuse of intimate liaisons, which have been the subject of submissions by others, and which have been profoundly devastating for those involved.
“This is what millions of pounds of money, diverted from budgets that could have been allocated to the police to protect our communities, or that could have been allocated to other public budgets ‑ to the NHS, to schools to libraries or to the arts – was misspent on.
“It was misspent over the course of decades and decades of state sanctioned clandestine activities by the police monitoring justice campaigns, anti-racism, anti-police violence groups, environmental campaigns, community solidarity networks, animal rights groups, and the political activism, rebel clowns, musicians, artists, campaigners and others.”
Mr Weatherby told inquiry chairman Sir John Mitting “there is nothing funny” about the images shown and that he was not making a “light-hearted point”.
“It’s profoundly sinister, and an affront, not just to the basic fundamental rights of those I represent, but to democracy itself,” he added.
The Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI) was set up in 2015 by then-home secretary Theresa May after a series of disclosures about undercover tactics.
It is looking at two units – the Metropolitan Police SDS which existed between 1968 and 2008, and the undercover section of the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU), which existed between 1999 and 2010.
The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (also known as CIRCA and Clown Army[1]) is an anti-authoritarian left-wing activist group that uses clowning and non-violent tactics to act against corporate globalisation, war, and on other issues. The group originated circa 2003 in the United Kingdom.
History
CIRCA emerged from the direct action movement and has participated in protests against George W. Bush's visit to the UK in 2003 and demonstrations against the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The group was particularly prominent in many of the actions organised around the 31st G8 summit held in Gleneagles during July 2005.[2] Members of CIRCA entertained children in Auchterarder while waiting for permission to march near the summit.[1]
CIRCA has active groups in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Denmark, Germany, and Israel, and many other groups have appeared that have been inspired by the work of the original group.[citation needed]
Appearance
Those participating in CIRCA actions typically dress in military-style camouflage clothing supplemented with brightly coloured trimmings and political logos. The costumes both create a comical atmosphere and serve to maintain anonymity during protests. 'Armaments' are usually limited to feather dusters, although some carry water pistols. The complete ensemble of the costume and traditional clown make-up (usually consisting of a white face and red nose) creates a sense of ridiculousness which seeks to challenge preconceptions of radical activists.
Beliefs
CIRCA claims that there is more to the group than simply dressing up and being playful. There is also a psychology which informs its actions: the clown persona can be used to defuse tense situations and engage with police in public order situations. In order to learn this 'recruits' must participate in a training workshop aka Big Shoe Camp before deployment.[3]
In an article about the G8 protests, the Edinburgh Evening News described CIRCA as "an anarchist splinter group," but a member denied this, saying that while some members would describe themselves as anarchists "...most would consider themselves 'horizontalists' where we engage people without the need for leaders."[4]
See also
References
- "BBC NEWS - UK - Scotland - Day of uncertainty and contrasts". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
- http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=719802005[permanent dead link] Rebel clowns are in town], Edinburgh Evening News, 30 June 2005
- "Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army". beautifultrouble.org. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
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