Local Issue or national disgrace?

This is not just a ‘local’ issue. This scheme has grave implications for people all across Birmingham and for civil liberties in Britain today. And judging by Nick Clegg’s Political Reform Speech on 19th May, our new Deputy Prime Minister clearly agrees:

19th Mat 2010 Political Reform speech, Part 1. (starts 2 min, 30 secs in).

19th May 2010 Political Reform speech, Part 2.

Unlike other CCTV schemes, this one has an altogether different and far more sinister purpose: it is connected to the government’s ‘Preventing Violent Extremism’ agenda, or ‘Prevent’ for short. The Home Office funding came from the counter-terrorism budget of ACPO (TAM) – an acronym that stands for ‘Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism and Allied Matters)’.

Project Champion is a surveillance exercise which utilises a grid of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras which now encircles the predominantly Muslim areas of the city, notably Sparkbrook and Washwood Heath Wards. There are also nine camera points in Moseley, where this campaign of opposition began – hence the name of my original blog www.spyonmoseley.co.uk. It should be noted that opposition to this scheme is not limited to a few Moseley residents, but is a much wider issue.

These spy cameras will record every vehicle entering or leaving a zone that has been designated as Birmingham’s ‘Terrorist Quarter’. This is a Home Office initiative from central government. Big Brother is watching you. Especially if you are Muslim, or just happen to live in Birmingham’s “terrorist ghetto.”