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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/sep/04/sussex-police-criticised-harassment-protester-liaison
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| Sussex police criticised for harassment during protester liaison | Sussex police criticised for harassment during protester liaison |
| (4 months later) | |
| A new police tactic to manage demonstrations has been criticised after officers were accused of abusing it to gather intelligence and intimidate protesters. | A new police tactic to manage demonstrations has been criticised after officers were accused of abusing it to gather intelligence and intimidate protesters. |
| Police chiefs say they have been attempting to build bridges to groups of protesters through the strategy, which designates specific officers to liaise with protest groups in what they say is an "honest, two-way dialogue". | Police chiefs say they have been attempting to build bridges to groups of protesters through the strategy, which designates specific officers to liaise with protest groups in what they say is an "honest, two-way dialogue". |
| Police chiefs argue that the strategy enables demonstrations to go ahead in a peaceful and organised way, while they can also assess more accurately how many officers need to be deployed to police the protest. They claim the initiative to engage with protesters will "enable greater communication, understanding and facilitation of peaceful protests". | Police chiefs argue that the strategy enables demonstrations to go ahead in a peaceful and organised way, while they can also assess more accurately how many officers need to be deployed to police the protest. They claim the initiative to engage with protesters will "enable greater communication, understanding and facilitation of peaceful protests". |
| But one campaigner has complained that police harassed her by making an unexpected visit to her home, grilling her about who was organising a planned protest and whether she was a member of a political group. | But one campaigner has complained that police harassed her by making an unexpected visit to her home, grilling her about who was organising a planned protest and whether she was a member of a political group. |
| The campaigner, who does not want to be identified, filmed the unannounced visit by two plainclothes police officers to her home in Brighton, Sussex. | The campaigner, who does not want to be identified, filmed the unannounced visit by two plainclothes police officers to her home in Brighton, Sussex. |
| The two officers, who said they were protest liaison officers from Sussex police, raised the subject of a demonstration that was due to be held by UK Uncut, the campaign against tax avoidance, in Brighton the following week. | The two officers, who said they were protest liaison officers from Sussex police, raised the subject of a demonstration that was due to be held by UK Uncut, the campaign against tax avoidance, in Brighton the following week. |
| In testy exchanges, one officer asks her repeatedly whether she is a member of UK Uncut. She replied that she did not think it necessary for her to say whether she was or not. She asked the officers why they thought she was a member of the campaign. | In testy exchanges, one officer asks her repeatedly whether she is a member of UK Uncut. She replied that she did not think it necessary for her to say whether she was or not. She asked the officers why they thought she was a member of the campaign. |
| The officer replied: "Because I have seen you on many demonstrations, and you have been leading the demonstrations. I am not saying that you were the organiser, but you have been a leader on these sorts of things." | The officer replied: "Because I have seen you on many demonstrations, and you have been leading the demonstrations. I am not saying that you were the organiser, but you have been a leader on these sorts of things." |
| He then asked her who is the organiser of the planned demonstration. She declined to answer his questions. | He then asked her who is the organiser of the planned demonstration. She declined to answer his questions. |
| After passing her film to the Guardian, she said: "It was not building communication or dialogue at all – it was them coming to my house to intimidate me and attempt to gather information." | After passing her film to the Guardian, she said: "It was not building communication or dialogue at all – it was them coming to my house to intimidate me and attempt to gather information." |
| One of the officers had previously worked for a surveillance unit, known as a forward intelligence team, that regularly monitored demonstrations and meetings. Sussex police said the officer was working purely as a protest liaison officer on that day, although the force "recognised that this could be seen by some as a conflict in roles". | One of the officers had previously worked for a surveillance unit, known as a forward intelligence team, that regularly monitored demonstrations and meetings. Sussex police said the officer was working purely as a protest liaison officer on that day, although the force "recognised that this could be seen by some as a conflict in roles". |
| At the demonstration in June, the campaigner claims she saw the same officer in uniform policing the protesters, wielding his baton while the far-right English Defence League were marching nearby. | At the demonstration in June, the campaigner claims she saw the same officer in uniform policing the protesters, wielding his baton while the far-right English Defence League were marching nearby. |
| She challenged the officer about why he had his baton out when he had been acting as a protest liaison officer, asking him if he realised what image he was presenting at that moment. | She challenged the officer about why he had his baton out when he had been acting as a protest liaison officer, asking him if he realised what image he was presenting at that moment. |
| Sussex police said that although the intended role of protest liaison officers was "not to deal with situations of conflict, they are fully trained police officers who are responsible for their own risk assessment and safety". | Sussex police said that although the intended role of protest liaison officers was "not to deal with situations of conflict, they are fully trained police officers who are responsible for their own risk assessment and safety". |
| The introduction of the liaison officers followed a report in which an official watchdog said police were struggling to cope with often dynamic demonstrations they had not been formally notified of in advance and that had no identifiable organisers. Some protest groups have so little trust in the police that they do not want to talk to them before demonstrations. | The introduction of the liaison officers followed a report in which an official watchdog said police were struggling to cope with often dynamic demonstrations they had not been formally notified of in advance and that had no identifiable organisers. Some protest groups have so little trust in the police that they do not want to talk to them before demonstrations. |
| Val Swain, of the police monitoring group, Netpol, said police were using the tactic of engaging with protesters to "develop their intelligence-gathering capacity". | Val Swain, of the police monitoring group, Netpol, said police were using the tactic of engaging with protesters to "develop their intelligence-gathering capacity". |
| Sussex police rejected the allegation, saying the role of the protest liaison officers was not to gather intelligence about campaigners. | Sussex police rejected the allegation, saying the role of the protest liaison officers was not to gather intelligence about campaigners. |
| Ch Insp Paul Betts said: "Their primary role will be to increase engagement with protest groups by supporting an open and honest two-way dialogue with them, before, during and after events. | Ch Insp Paul Betts said: "Their primary role will be to increase engagement with protest groups by supporting an open and honest two-way dialogue with them, before, during and after events. |
| "By doing this, we hope to better facilitate peaceful protest and provide a safe environment for the protesters and others in [Brighton]. | "By doing this, we hope to better facilitate peaceful protest and provide a safe environment for the protesters and others in [Brighton]. |
| "With a better picture of protesters' intentions, we can police proportionally and reduce the number of officers assigned to a protest, allowing them to focus on the other issues which we know are important to our communities." | "With a better picture of protesters' intentions, we can police proportionally and reduce the number of officers assigned to a protest, allowing them to focus on the other issues which we know are important to our communities." |
| The force added that protesters could ask not to be visited at their homes or did not have to answer questions from the liaison officers. | The force added that protesters could ask not to be visited at their homes or did not have to answer questions from the liaison officers. |
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