they’ve been doing this since cameras were invented and before everyone on here (including the older folks in their 40s/50s) was born
before that they had telescopes and binoculars…
what would we rather have though, this being openly done by the Police and actually being discussed in public, or it being done covertly by the Security Service (MI5) / Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)?
At least these days a Forward Intelligence Team operates openly and in uniform…
its unrealistic not to expect law enforcement to monitor “protestors”, especially when they can be anyone from eco-protestors right through to right-wing activists such as the English Defence League, or the more militant wings of Islamic, Christian and Jewish faith groups (there was even a protest organised by Jews in London against the excesses of the banking system!)
I wouldn’t class myself as a eco-warrior but I am broadly supportive of environmentally friendly activity, a recent member of my transition towns group and have taken a lot of individual action in recent times to reduce my personal impact on the planet.
I remember 1990s road protests, I lived in Reading (near Newbury) at that time. I also remember these protests being hijacked by a variety of unsavoury folks ranging from football hooligans and hard men (who wanted to ruck with cops/opponents) to sexual predators – there are good reasons why men aren’t allowed on Greenham Common peace camp at night and its not because the women there are stuck in a 25 year timewarp.
During the 90s a lot of people got into protesting because it was trendy and didn’t care a shit about the causes, they used it as their personal individual crusade against authority – this is also what has fucked up the rave scene..
protest is just one bit of action towards a better environment/society, it has to be backed up with less “rebellious” actions to get wider public support..
we in England and Europe are fucking lucky anyway we have the “right” to at least some protest, there is none in many other foreign countries…
