Yesterday’s public meeting was a truly incredible event, the like of which hasn’t been seen before anywhere in the UK. Impassioned speakers spoke out strongly against the controversial counter-terrorism surveillance scheme in Birmingham, which aims to intensively monitor the city’s two biggest Muslim communities – considered by the authorities be a terrorist threat.
Senior representatives from the police were forced into apologise to over 500 people who squeezed into the packed hall, and to whole communities over the mis-judged scheme that they had tried to implement in the Sparkbrook and Washwood Heath areas of the city. Asst. Chief Constable Sharon Rowe promised to transfer ownership of the scheme from the counter terrorism unit to local police, who would be responsible for the cameras from now on. She also pledged that the 72 covert cameras included in the spy cam plan would be removed completely. The fate of the remaining cameras – approx 150 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and over 60 standard CCTV cameras would be decided by a full public consultation. But protesters at yesterday’s meeting felt this didn’t go far enough, and unanimously called for all the cameras to be removed BEFORE the consultation which should decide whether local people want any of these cameras in their communities.
Bags have now been placed over some of the cameras which will remain out of action until after the public have been consulted on their use.
The atmosphere was electric as Birmingham people from all backgrounds and communities came together to denounce the spy cam scheme. Special guests from national campaign groups spoke passionately on the multiple reasons why this dreadful plan must not go ahead. You can watch all the impassioned and inspiring speeches made at the Spy Cam summit on youTube :
Alex Deane from Big Brother Watch, one of several key speakers at the event gives an excellent write-up here.
Coverage of the event in today’s Birmingham Mail
Last night’s item on ITV Central News
Item on BBC News website
Sign the online petition and join the fight to ALL the surveillance cameras that form part of ‘Project Champion’ in Birmingham REMOVED.
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