16/11/10_PRESS RELEASE:

London NoBorders condemns suppression of free speech by Metropolitan Police

The website fitwatch.org.uk, the website of civil rights initiative
"Fitwatch"[1], has been shut down on behalf of the London Metropolitan
Police. "Fitwatch" aims to report police surveillance of public protest,
especially as done by the Forward Intelligence Team (FIT).

In a request send to JustHost.com, the US-based provider of the
website,the police stated that the website is "committing offences of
attempting to pervert the Course of Justice under Common Law." However,
without exactly specifying what part of material on the website the
Metropolitan Police has a problem with, the police requested the provider
"to de-host this website for a minimum period of 12 months." It appears
that JustHost.com has followed up on this request, although it remains
unclear in how far any common UK law can be "perverted" in the US. Such an
extensive request, to shut down a whole website for at least a year
without a court decision, seems unprecedented.

Last night the Met police shut down the Fitwatch blog, citing it was "being used to undertake criminal activities". However, London NoBorders believes that the request to shut down the blog is rather serving the aim to silence one of the best known police-critical websites.

Update: the website has now found a new hosting provider and is back online.

for more information, see: Fitwatch Press Release | London NoBorders Press Release | IMC London | The Guardian | The Register | Computer Weekly | PressTV | LondonNet | PC Pro | eGov Monitor | thefirstpost | Fitwatch on Twitter

Yesterday, Saturday 30 October, London saw the second "Life is too short ..." demonstration, leading from the Westminster CCTV Headquarter in Piccadilly Circus to the UK Border at St.Pancras.

The demonstration entered St Pancras International around 5pm with a sound system playing. Several people attempted to cross the border by through the Eurostar passport controls but were stopped later by security and transport police.

Full Press Release | About "Life is too short..." | Indymedia London: Short Video of the demonstration arriving in St. Pancras International | Video St.Pancras Out of Control | Video Speech in Piccadilly and Demo at Eurostar Terminal| Short report and pictures from Piccadilly Circus | More Pictures | Youtube: Speech and Demo at St.Pancras

Today 60 people marched from Piccadilly Circus to St Pancras to demand an end to surveillance and borders.

The activists entered St Pancras around 5pm with a sound system and banners proclaiming “Life is too short to be controlled” and “Calais migrants welcome here”. Several people attempted to cross the border by trying to force their way through passport control but were stopped by security, one person was arrested.

Full Press Release

Trailer for the "Life is too short to be controlled - part 2" demonstration , London, 30th October 2010.

Every day people in the UK are subjected to surveillance and borders. We are followed by CCTV, we leave electronic footprints when we use bankcards or search online, and we need to present the right papers to access “public” services. This is all designed to control us and prevent freedom of movement. Technology that was pioneered at national frontiers, such as drones, is now used to monitor protests. In this discussion London NoBorders will talk about the link between surveillance and border controls and discuss the “Life is too short” demo it is organising around this issue on 30/10/10.

London NoBorders presents:

Erasing David - a documentary about privacy, surveillance and the database state

Tuesday 14th September 2010

At the Shortwave Cinema, 10 Bermondsey Square, SE1 3UN (nearest tube: London Bridge)

Film starts at 7.30pm, followed by a Q&A session with the film's director David Bond.

Suggested donation: £5 waged, £3 unwaged