Publicity protest
The police has shut down a website giving advice to unruly student protestors on how to dodge arrest, but the guide has been republished online over 70 times in protest.
Few people could escape the news of the protest in London last week over the government's proposal to hike university tuition fees, where a minority of protestors unfortunately turned ugly, trashing the Conservative party's Millbank HQ, leading to some 50 arrests
According to The Guardian, anti-authority blog Fitwatch published a ‘how-to' guide for people involved in the violence at the event, suggesting how they could dodge being arrested. The site was closed down on the grounds of ‘being used to undertake criminal activities' by the Metropolitan police.
The blog reportedly suggested that rowdy ‘students' should bin spray cans, dispose of the clothes they were wearing and delete ‘dodgy texts and photos' on their phones.
"Perhaps now is a good time for a makeover. Get a haircut and colour, grow a beard, wear glasses. It isn't a guarantee, but may help throw them off the scent," the blog reportedly advised.
It is also said to have warned that the police could use pictures to encourage suspects to come forward. "Unless you have a very pressing reason to do otherwise, let them come and find you, if they know who you are," the blog reportedly suggested.
Over 70 websites have now supposedly re-published the guide in what could be perceived as a big finger up to the authorities and it is allegedly available on Facebook.
The Guardian believes that a lot of the sites publishing the guide are run by political activists who are using Twitter to spread word of the guide, while Fitwatch campaigners are apparently planning on getting their website re-hosted ASAP probably complete with the offending article.
In a letter to the website's hosting company, JustHost.com, the Met's e-crime unit reportedly asked the firm to stop the website for at least a year and the Met told the newspaper: "We were concerned this website was giving information about destroying evidence. We drew this to the attention of the internet infrastructure providers and they suspended the site."
There is no news on whether the police will attempt to censor the rest of the websites that have re-published the guide.
The Fitwatch blog was reportedly set up in 2007 by people protesting about the police's surveillance of political activists used by Forward Intelligence Teams, or Fits for short. The site is believed to be controversial among the force, with officers' names and photos apparently posted on it.
