G20, London : Photographers Followed Agent Provocateurs Who Goaded, Attacked And Were Then Protected By Police

From Robert Mackey, in the New York Times :

A friend who is a photographer in London writes in to share some observations on shooting the protests, and has something very interesting to say about the violence that broke out on Wednesday night.

Since he needs to maintain a good working relationship with the police, he asked not to be named, but I’d like to share some of what he, and another photographer he was with for part of Wednesday observed while working.

He writes that it appeared to at least these two photographers that most of the much-photographed violence on Wednesday evening was caused by people who looked like “agent provocateurs,” who “were going from police line to police line baiting the police — and they were the ones who instigated the push against police lines that kicked off the evening violence.” This photographer adds that “There was another guy baiting the police and whipping up the crowd to rush the police, he got a hundred or so protesters to follow him and then sneaked off as they reached police lines.” He also writes that the second photographer, who is a reliable reporter, “saw a bunch of protesters trying to stop a guy in black throwing bottles at the police, the protesters had an argument him and then accused him of being a policeman, whereupon he ran to the police cordon, showed some I.D. and was let through!”

Finally, my friend says: “I should point out that the only reason that we were able to spot these guys so easily was because the protest at that point was so peaceful, they really stuck out, so we followed them from one police line to another as they tried to start trouble.”

People acting as agent provocateurs at protests, with the assistance of police, is becoming a staple of modern marches. But people are being educated, and are suspicious now of anyone wearing ski-masks or going to extremes to conceal their identity. Particularly when they cover their faces only to conceal their identity during acts of violence.

The above claims show that those protesters who now know there are people whose job it is to provoke violence and confrontation with police are now intervening, where possible, and stopping the violence, non-police violence anyway, as minimal as it was at the London G20 protests.

Undercover Cop 'Caught In The Act' Of Trying To Spark Violence At Peaceful Protest

Canadian Police Admit They Sent Agent Provocateurs Armed With Rocks In The Ranks Of Peaceful Protesters