Back in 2008, we learned that the police had been engaged in widespread domestic spying, infiltrating and spying on protest groups, unions, political parties, even legal cases against them. Now, it looks like they're at it again. A protest by Greenpeace against deep-sea drilling on Monday attracted an unusual amount of police attention, and has raised questions about their sources:
A police launch from outside the region was brought to Port Taranaki in readiness for the protest, and intercepted five protesters on paddleboards as they approached the survey ship Polarcus Alima on Monday. The ship is about to begin seismic testing for oil in the Deepwater Taranaki Basin.So, are the police bugging Greenpeace, or have they simply hired more spies to infiltrate them? Either way, its an attack on the right to protest, and on our democracy.Greenpeace claimed yesterday that a van bringing protesters to Taranaki was stopped by police near New Plymouth. Five police cars and 10 officers were at the scene.
Mr Boxer said it was apparent police were aware the five people in the van were from Greenpeace and why they were heading to New Plymouth.
[...]
Mr Boxer said Greenpeace did not publicise its intentions to protest at the port and was suspicious of how police got wind of the plan. "They knew that we were coming.
"The police response was much greater than to anything we've been doing in the past, to be honest," he said.