North Yorkshire Police
Contents
Response to anti-fracking protestors being labelled a terrorist threat under Prevent policy
Four days after a report published on Spinwatch revealing that anti-fracking protestors had been labelled as 'domestic extremists' under the City of York Council and Merseyside Police's Prevent recently updated policies, North Yorkshire Police's acting assistant chief constable Amanda Oliver said:
- To avoid any doubt, anti-fracking protesters are not seen as a terrorist threat by the police in North Yorkshire.
- On the contrary, the groups of local protesters have been nothing but peaceful and respectful of the law. Not one arrest has been made in connection with protest action associated with the issue in our area.
- We will continue to liaise with all groups involved in the issue, to ensure people’s right for lawful protest, maximizing the safety of all concerned, while minimising disruption to the wider community. [1]
Further investigation
A further investigation by Spinwatch revealed that the North Yorkshire police force indeed has worked in collaboration with Hambleton District Council and Richmondshire District Council to link anti-fracking campaigners to domestic extremism and terrorism. [2]
Richmondshire council's Prevent strategy launch event video
In July 2015 Richmondshire District Council hosted an event to explain its ‘Prevent’ strategy to its scrutiny committee. The council’s community safety officer, Gina Allen, delivered the presentation, assisted by North Yorkshire Police.[2] Seated beside two police staff, Allen discussed the 'terrorism threats' facing the district:
- 'A reasonably new one is around the fracking agenda, extreme anti-frackers, causing as much disruption as they possibly can is a potential threat going forward'. [3]
The ‘counter terrorism local profile questionnaire 2016’
In January 2016, both Hambleton District Council and Richmondshire District Council along with North Yorkshire Police launched a questionnaire linking anti fracking protestors with the ‘extreme right wing’ and ‘issues relating to Syria and Iraq’. According to Safer Richmondshire and Safer Hambleton's team the purpose of the questionnaire was to help develop a ‘Counter Terrorism Local Profile’. [4] [5]They describe this as:
- ‘a document that is collated on behalf of both police and partners which describes the current risks, threats and vulnerabilities in relation to terrorism and violent extremism.’ [2]
The 2016 questionnaire includes a specific section on fracking and asks the community these three questions:
- Is there any information regarding individuals or groups who are engaged in fracking protests which have the potential to become more radical and disruptive in nature?
- Have there been any suspicious sightings around the proposed fracking areas within North Yorkshire?
- Is there any information regarding protests to be held in the North Yorkshire?[4] [5]
Notes
- ↑ North Yorkshire Police response to concerns raised by anti-fracking, press release, Last modified 6 December, 2016, 2.33pm
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Russell Scott and Melissa Jones, Update: more documents show police, councils and schools labelling anti-fracking protestors as extremists, Spinwatch, 09 December 2016, accessed 12 December 2016.
- ↑ richmondnoticeboard: Radicalisation. Richmondshire council's Prevent strategy launch event video, richmondnoticeboard, July 20 2015, accessed 12 December 2016.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Safer Richmondshire COUNTER TERRORISM LOCAL PROFILE - CAN YOU HELP "It might be nothing but......", Richmondshire District Council, accessed 12 December 2016.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Safer Hambleton COUNTER TERRORISM LOCAL PROFILE - CAN YOU HELP "It might be nothing but......", Hambleton District Council, accessed 12 December 2016.
