My friend Mark Fitzpatrick stops by to chat about anarchists and activists in Europe. We talk about the famous story of Mark Kennedy who was an undercover cop who infiltrated an environmental activist group and had sexual relations with 10 different women.
We also talk about the veracity of the anarchists of Greece and their commitment to freedom. We explore the Wombles, which was the UK equivalent to the Muppets, but was also an libertarian anarchist activist group! This is a great conversation!
Anarchy In Greece
In 2003, there were violent protests by anti-capitalist demonstrators in Thessaloniki, Greece, following the end of an EU summit.
The protests included the smashing of shop windows, the setting of fires to buildings, including a McDonald’s restaurant, and the throwing of petrol bombs. Riot police used tear gas and beat small groups of demonstrators with sticks, and about 30 people were arrested.
The Wombles
The WOMBLES was a loosely aligned anarchist and anti-capitalist group based in London that gained prominence in the early 2000s for wearing white overalls with padding and helmets at May Day protests, mimicking the Italian group Tute Bianche.
The name stands for White Overalls Movement Building Libertarian Effective Struggles. The group was involved in protests during several May Day events in the early 2000s, including the protests in 2004 in Dublin.
They also began a series of social centers in London, inspired by self-managed social centers in Italy.
The WOMBLES used the internet to reach a wider audience, enabling solidarity networks. The group was infiltrated by at least three British police officers between 1999 and 2010.
Undercover Cop Infiltrates Freedom Groups
Rod Richardson was the alias used by an undercover police officer who infiltrated several environmental and anarchist groups in London from 1999 to 2003.
In particular, he targeted the Movement Against Monarchy (MAM), an offshoot of Class War, which was active from 1997 to 2002 and carried out several actions against the royal family. Richardson first got in contact with MAM members through the Rettendon camp and later attended their pub meetings in Hackney and Whitechapel.
He took part in discussions for protests planned for the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday and was also known to be at the MAM demonstration in Hackney in May 2002 against a royal walkabout.
At the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002, a large number of people at a protest held by MAM on 4 June were pre-emptively arrested, and some of them sued the police for wrongful arrest.
Rod Richardson was also involved in other environmental campaigns and attended international protests. However, there are still gaps in the information about his activities, and if anyone can shed light on them, they are encouraged to contact the Undercover Research Group.
Undercover Cop Infiltrates Environmental Group, Gets Stockholm Syndrome
Mark Kennedy, whose undercover name was Mark Stone, was a former London Metropolitan Police officer who infiltrated many protest groups between 2003 and 2010 as part of the police service’s National Public Order Intelligence Unit. His identity as an undercover policeman was unmasked by political activists on 21 October 2010.
During his time under cover, he manipulated and deceived several women into having sexual relationships with him with the knowledge of his superiors. Kennedy was involved in several environmentalist campaigns in Ireland, such as Shell to Sea.
He allegedly encouraged protestors to attack police during the May Day 2004 protests in Dublin. Kennedy later sued the police for ruining his life and failing to “protect” him from falling in love with one of the environmental activists whose movement he infiltrated.
Several women who were deceived into having long-term intimate relationships by five officers, including Kennedy, began legal action against the Metropolitan Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
In January 2022, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal found that Kennedy’s actions were an “abuse of the highest order” and awarded one of his victims £229,000 in compensation.
What is Anarchy?
Anarchism is a political philosophy that advocates for the abolition of hierarchical systems of governance and promotes decentralized, self-governing communities. Some potential positive aspects of anarchism include:
- Emphasis on individual freedom: Anarchism values the autonomy and self-determination of individuals, and seeks to create a society where people are free to pursue their own interests and aspirations without being limited by external structures.
- Community empowerment: Anarchism encourages communities to organize and govern themselves based on their own needs and values, rather than relying on centralized authorities. This can help foster a sense of empowerment and agency among individuals and groups.
- Non-hierarchical social organization: Anarchism rejects the idea that one person or group should have power over others, and instead seeks to create systems of governance that are horizontally organized, based on consensus, and designed to meet the needs of all members of a community.
- Equality and social justice: Anarchism is often associated with social justice movements, as it seeks to create a society in which all people are treated with equal respect and dignity, and have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.
- Environmental sustainability: Anarchism recognizes that environmental issues are often rooted in structures of power and exploitation, and emphasizes the need for collective action to protect the natural world and ensure its sustainability for future generations.
- Cultural diversity and pluralism: Anarchism values the diversity of human cultures and lifestyles, and seeks to create a society that respects and celebrates differences rather than seeking to impose uniformity.
- Direct action and mutual aid: Anarchism emphasizes the power of individuals and communities to take direct action to address social problems, and often promotes the idea of mutual aid, or voluntary cooperation among individuals and groups to meet each other’s needs.
- Creativity and innovation: Anarchism encourages experimentation and innovation, as it seeks to create new and more effective ways of organizing society that are better suited to the needs of individuals and communities.
- Opposition to violence and coercion: Anarchism opposes the use of violence and coercion in all forms, and instead advocates for peaceful, nonviolent methods of achieving social change.
- Critical thinking and analysis: Anarchism encourages critical thinking and analysis of social and political issues, and seeks to create a society in which individuals are free to think for themselves and engage in meaningful dialogue and debate about the issues that affect their lives.