Support Our Work Mailing list About / Contact
  • Home /
  • News /
  • 2016 /
  • January /
  • PRESS RELEASE: Special Branch Files Project website launches on WEDNESDAY 13th JANUARY 2016

PRESS RELEASE: Special Branch Files Project website launches on WEDNESDAY 13th JANUARY 2016

13 January 2016

Support our work: become a Friend of Statewatch from as little as £1/€1 per month.

The Special Branch Files Project is a web archive of declassified files focusing on the surveillance of political activists and campaigners in the UK, going live on Wednesday 13th January 2016.

In the early years of the Freedom of Information Act, journalists obtained various Special Branch documents from the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office. Unfortunately this openness was short-lived. The authorities now routinely refuse to disclose Special Branch files, including information which they previously released.

As the Met's Disclosure Log states, information released under the FOI Act is released to the world. A disclosure to one is a disclosure to all. The Met may want to prevent further access to this information but they can't turn back the clock.

Journalists and researchers who received these files in the past generously shared them with the Special Branch Files Project for publication so that they can be accessible to the public.

The documents reveal the intricate details recorded by Britain's secret police about a range of protest movements in this country; from those protesting against the Vietnam War in 1968, to the Anti-Apartheid Movement, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Wapping industrial dispute of 1986-87. Other files relate to the psychological support available for undercover police officers infiltrating activist groups.

The Special Branch Files Project aims to expand its collection and invites anyone who wishes to share further files, analysis or to support the project in any other way to get in touch.

The initiative is run by journalists, academics, researchers and volunteers.

The Special Branch Files Project was developed with the support of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom and Journalismfund.eu. The files are hosted at DocumentCloud.org and the website is sponsored by Greenhost in the Netherlands.

Notes to Editors:

Further Information about all of these issues can be accessed via our website from Wednesday, photos can be sent on request.

How the Met changed their policy on releasing Special Branch files

Example of the Met refusing to release files which they had previously disclosed

Founders of this project Eveline Lubbers and Nicola Cutcher can be reached for comment:

- contact[at]SpecialBranchFiles.uk (replace [at] with @)

Special Branch Files Project

Our work is only possible with your support.
Become a Friend of Statewatch from as little as £1/€1 per month.

 Previous article

HUNGARY-ECHR: Press Release: Hungarian legislation on secret anti-terrorist surveillance does not have sufficient safeguards against abuse

Next article 

EU: Ombudsman's finding of maladminiration by European Commission in failing to release documents concerning GCHQ

 

Spotted an error? If you've spotted a problem with this page, just click once to let us know.

Report error

Statewatch does not have a corporate view, nor does it seek to create one, the views expressed are those of the author. Statewatch is not responsible for the content of external websites and inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement. Registered UK charity number: 1154784. Registered UK company number: 08480724. Registered company name: The Libertarian Research & Education Trust. Registered office: MayDay Rooms, 88 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1DH. © Statewatch ISSN 1756-851X. Personal usage as private individuals "fair dealing" is allowed. We also welcome links to material on our site. Usage by those working for organisations is allowed only if the organisation holds an appropriate licence from the relevant reprographic rights organisation (eg: Copyright Licensing Agency in the UK) with such usage being subject to the terms and conditions of that licence and to local copyright law.

About | Contact | Privacy Policy