Matthew Varnham, Director of Legal Observers, questions the City of London Police over their categorisation of Occupy London as Domestic Extremists, following their recent inclusion in a presentation which pictured the movement next to Al-Qaeda and the IRA. [1] In a letter to the City Police Commissioner, he calls for a public apology to be made and for clarification on whether the Police tasked GCHQ’s Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group (JTRIG) to monitor and disrupt the movement. [2]

Documents revealed as part of the Snowdon leaks indicate that JTRIG – whose remit includes Domestic Extremists – [3] works to “discredit, promote distrust, dissuade, deceive, disrupt, delay, deny, denigrate/degrade and deter.” [4]

Suspicion was raised by those in the Occupy movement who, at times during the 2011 occupation in St Paul’s Churchyard and since, faced various technical issues with their computers and mobile phones. Each of these issues matches a technical capability of JTRIG. [5]

Varnham said:

“It is conceivable that the City Police classification of the Occupy movement as Domestic Extremists is for the purpose of putting them within the remit of GCHQ’s Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group. I find it deeply concerning that the Police may have instructed our intelligence agencies to disrupt peaceful protesters, and will be working with those who faced technical issues at the time to take their complaints to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.”

“I will also be writing to the Home Affairs Select Committee asking them to investigate whether and, if so, to what extent, police forces have tasked GCHQ to interfere with peaceful protest. I have no doubt that such activity would be unlawful and anticipate that, if evidence does come to light, litigation would follow.”

Varnham’s letter is available:

Letter to City of London Police Commissioner by Legal Observers Ltd

Notes to Editors

@legalobservers @matthewvarnham

[1] Occupy London were initially classed as Domestic Extremists in the City of London Terrorism/Extremism update in December 2011. http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/dec/05/occupy-london-police-terrorism-document

More recently The Guardian uncovered a City of London Police presentation which pictured Occupy London next to Al-Qaeda and the IRA, under the heading “Terrorism and Domestic Issues” with the Movement listed as an example of Domestic Extremism. http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jul/19/occupy-london-counter-terrorism-presentation-al-qaida

[2] Paragraph 1.11 The Police can task JTRIG providing http://www.statewatch.org/news/2015/jun/behavioural-science-support-for-jtrigs-effects.pdf

[3] Ibid, Paragraph 2.4

[4] Ibid, Paragraph 2.3

[5] JTRIG’s capabilities are detailed https://theintercept.com/document/2014/07/14/jtrig-tools-techniques/ Those capabilities which Occupy London participants suspect were used against them include

Angry Pirate – the capability to permanently disable a target’s account on their computer.
Scarlet Emperor – the capability to implement denial of service against a target phone via call bombing.
Sunblock – the capability to deny functionality to send/receive email or view material online.
Vipers Tongue – a tool that will silently implement denial of service calls on a Satellite or GSM Phone