Police chiefs planned to step up surveillance of social justice and environmental activists in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, and privately expressed concern about rising anger towards the government, openDemocracy can reveal.
Eighteen months’ worth of intelligence briefings, obtained through Freedom of Information laws, also reveal that senior police officials classified protests against policing as “anti-fascist”.
The intelligence was compiled in the first three Public Order and Public Safety Risk Assessments by the National Police Chiefs Council’s (NPCC) strategic intelligence and briefing team. These are a new way for forces across the UK to share information about protests and other public events.
