Department denies knowledge of agent provocateur

THE Department of Justice has denied any knowledge of the activities of a British undercover policeman who associated with environmental campaigners at the Corrib pipeline site and assisted with organisation of protests in Dublin.

This week the true identity of PC Mark Kennedy of the London metropolitan police, also known as Mark Stone, was publicly revealed when a court case against six environmental campaigners collapsed in Nottingham.

Pc Kennedy infiltrated the environmental movement in the Nottinghamshire are of England in late 2003. During his time undercover he visited Ireland on at least five occasions, including to address activists gathered in Clare in April 2005 on how to take “direct action” against US flights landing at Shannon airport.

The uncovering of Pc Kennedy’s role in the British radical environmental movement has resulted in demands in the British parliament for a full investigation into “agent provocateur” activities by the police.