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Class War issue 81: Journo Watch
Back in November 1999 a demonstration was organised at somewhat short notice at Euston Station to coincide with the huge N30 event in Seattle. At the time Class War felt somewhat pessimistic about the chances of taking on the huge police operation on the day and decided to stay at home and watch it on the telly. Given the events that evening we were probably right, although it did not stop the "reporters" at ITN's Tonight With Trevor McDonald claiming we were not only present but helped organise the event!
Amongst the many people injured on the evening by the police was a journalist, Danny Penman. Penman apparently attended that evening because he had received an anonymous tip-off that fascists from C18 would be present (that he took this seriously perhaps shows the level of Penman's intelligence). After having his arm broken by the cops he circulated many activist groups appealing for witnesses. Sadly when Mr Penman was approached to help defendants arrested that evening, he refused point blank. Journalists are often described as being parasitical on the anti-capitalist movement but they are rarely as blatant as Danny Penman.
We are also aware of a female "independent reporter" who was extremely reluctant to assist several anti-fascists arrested in London last year, even though she held important video evidence. You know who you are, we know who you are. Do not expect to be allowed to film at ANY demonstrations in London again.
After every big demonstration the police trot out mug shots of alleged rioters. To do this they not only have to get their own camera crews in place, but they rely on photographers and journalists from both the national media and so-called "independent journalists".
Class War believes that anyone taking photographs without permission at a demonstration is a threat to the security of that demonstration. We urge all activists to think very carefully about people filming around them, and to be particularly cautious about the never ending stream of sympathetic independent journalists doing the rounds.
Journo watch 2 - News of the screws
In the last Class War we carried a quote about Neville Thurlbeck, the News of the World crime correspondent who is a registered police informer. We suspect the same goes for many of his colleagues. Thurlbeck, who uses the pseudonym Ray Levene amongst others, specialises in the seedy tales that have characterised the News of the World for a generation. Normally their reporter visits some respectable suburban house for the Women's Institute coffee morning, discovers it is in fact a knocking shop, and rushes back to London to file his story usually ending his report of suburban sex with the cliché "our reporter made his excuses and left".
A visit to the website www.lifestyles-america.com/bobandsue however, shows Mr Thurlbeck in one of his sting operations (pictures we cannot repeat in a family newspaper like Class War). Suspicious of Thurlbeck, two masseurs filmed him covertly. Whatever it is he is doing on their film and the website he is certainly not making his excuses and leaving! Indeed the somewhat anti-gay News of the World would certainly not approve of some of the goings on!
Still with the close protection of the police and the Press Complaints Commission Thurlbeck will no doubt continue doing his thing - setting up members of the public for prosecution and humilation.
Back to issue 81 contents
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