8 July 2010 - Recently in Camberwell various CCTV smart cars have been patrolling residential areas under the publicly known purpose of traffic enforcement. A group of activists who had recently moved to the area observed the Southwark council spy cars recording number plates of all cars passing through their vicinity as well as recording the movements of the local residents and taking footage of people’s houses. This considerable infringement on civil liberties was quite enough for the activists to stand so they went their merry way out onto the streets with their two banners, one reading ‘CCTV free zone’ and another reading ‘freedom not filming’. On the first day they were met with lots of friendly neighbourhood who agreed with what they were doing, and one man was very angry so he expressed this with his middle finger at the CCTV camera. The police arrived and spoke to everyone but left shortly due to boredom. The activists surrounded the car with banners and eventually it left an hour before its shift was due to end. On the second day the activists spotted the CCTV car again, and so decided to greet it with much enthusiasm. They surrounded it again and one activist very politely asked the CCTV camera to ‘mind its own beeswax’. As they were standing having a jolly old time, another CCTV car arrived, the activists were so surprised they ran over to greet it and show it all the lovely banners they made. Soon after two traffic enforcement men arrived, they were very interested in what was going on. Shortly after the traffic enforcement men and the CCTV spy cars left, an hour and forty minutes before their shift was due to end. On the first day it took an hour to convince the CCTV cars to leave, and on the second it took 20 minutes. The activists plan to continue and expand their campaign, they will be converging on Valmar road, Camberwell to confront these nosy parkers and welcome newcomers to their group. Jolly Good work friendly neighbourhood anarchists!
Abelinda Blackbird
Abelinda Blackbird
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