Pru e-mails rt's "Bristol anti-war campaigner targetted with Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act" from Bristol Indymedia:
Bristol resident Dylan Thomas claims that the Regulation of Investigatory Powers have been used against him because of his anti-war campaigning. This interview discusses the alleged use of RIPA against this anti-war protestor and the sort of activities that gave rise to him being targetted with RIPA. It is not everyday that you get to interview a dead Welsh poet.
Mr. Thomas, you claim that you have been theh victim of use of the Regultion of Investigatory Powers Act. I understand that it is an offence for someone to tell you of a RIPA control order and there's a serious period of imprisonment involved. Assuming that nobody told you that you were targetted by RIPA, can you explain why you think that you have been subjected to this act, and what it actually means?
Yes of course. Well first off the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act is a very heavyweiht piece of legislation. It's one of Bliar's New Labour's serious heavy laws where the implications for the subject are very serious but there is deniability - everything's done the secret, unmentioned New Labour way so that there is no accountability. So, RIPA means that they can interfere in any aspect of your life - say your solicitor. They can demand that your solicitor sends copies of all your documents that he holds and to never tell you. If he tells you, he commits a criminal offence and can be sent off to prison. Like I said, the RIPA is heavyweight law - really powerful and it sort of sweeps lesser laws away with it's power. But it does have some problems because it clashes and conflicts with other laws because it's so heavyweight and powerful. Now where it clashes with other laws. That's where you can see the cracks. That's where you can see RIPA operating. One part of RIPA, why it's so powerful and heavy and awkward is that nobody can be tried for carrying out actions under it's authority. The issues can simply never come to court. Now from the documents I have, I am fairly certain that I had a RIPA order served on me between January and June or July 2003 and I may have had some since. I mean I know that my post is intercepted. The f***ers just steal it quite often and I just never see it. Legal documents even. They even steal legal documents sent to me. You see what happened is that at that time I was getting referred to New Deal every 2 weeks and I was appealling every one. So a sanction was getting imposed every two weeks. I've got twelve appeals in this period. That means twelve copies of documentation from the JobCentre referring me to New deal and me refusing, twelve copies from the Employment Service and twelve copies from the Appeals Service where I have lodged my appeals. Actually that's what I should have. It's not what I actually have.
Eh, Why not?
Well remember RIPA is heavyweight and clashes heavily with other laws. The trouble is that actions conducted under the authority of the act can never be tried in a court or tribunal. So what documntation have I got?. Once again, the RIPA does not sit well with repeated requests for appeals because appeals are like trials and actions under RIPA can never be tried. So the documentation is have is regualar documents, sometimes legal documents with gaps where RIPA is operating. Bingo!
Do you really have that. Really?
Well I think so. I reckon I can map what actions they took from the gaps in the documents. And i think that I have got more.
More?
Yes. Now the trouble is that it's not only the whole appeals that cannot be tried but certain aspects of them. So as these appeals progress you can study them to catch the issues that are raised but the Chairman cannot make a decision on. And when you make an administrative complaint. That's a laugh that is. It's because I'm a determined, stick-at-it little sod as well. It's only now these things are coming out.
So you mentioned administrative complaints. What happens there?
OK. so let me recap. I've got eleven New Deal appeals and one JobSeeker's Allowance appeal over the six months I was RIPAd. That should be twelve copies of documents from the Jobcentre, twelve copies from the Appeals Service and now they are starting to come through from the Social Security Commissioners. That's what finally gave it away actually.
Dominick e-mails to note Dave Lordan "'Carlo Tried To Resist: This Is The Truth' : Giuliano Giuliani" from I.E. Indymedia:
Giuliano Giuliani is a leading Italian Trade Unionist whose son Carlo was murdered by the Italian Police during the July 2001 protests in Genoa against the G8 Summit. Since Genoa, Giuliano and his wife Haidi have become stalwarts of the international anti-globalisation movement, speaking at countless events and protests as well as campaigning for justice for their son. He will speak at a public meeting organized by G8 Mobilise on Thursday 26th May in Dublin.
Four years on from Carlo's murder, do you feel any closer to achieving justice for him?
It is very difficult after waiting for four years to even think about achieving justice. But we are doing everything possible to ensure that the truth be acknowledged. Carlo was killed while he was trying to defend the others and himself from being shot at by the police. Carlo tried to resist: this is the truth. Along with this truth, we also want to find out the exact chain of command on those days, and we want someone to take political responsibility for Carlo's murder. This is absolutely necessary for our country, for democracy, and in particular for all the other young people who are looking for a better world.
How have the police behaved during the investigation?
Terribly, no investigation has really been carried out, not even into the most disgraceful and violent behaviour of the police. After he was hit by a bullet, Carlo was kicked while he was lying on the ground and then one policeman broke his forehead with a stone. This is the behaviour of Nazis. So was what they did at the Diaz school or at the Bolzaneto barracks or in the streets: torture, extremely violent beatings, both physical and mental. These facts are unworthy of a civilized society and they cannot remain unpunished. Instead they are trying to cover, to hide and to mix up everything. Some Judges are also not doing their jobs, because dismissing a case, like Carlo's murder, contributes to the truth being hidden.
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