Mark Kennedy (police officer)

Mark Kennedy (born 7 July 1969, Camberwell, South London)^{[citation needed]} (also known as Mark Stone and Flash) is a former Metropolitan Police officer who, whilst attached to the police service's National Public Order Intelligence Unit,^[1] infiltrated many protest groups between 2003 and 2010 before he was unmasked by political activists as an undercover policeman.^[2]

The case against six activists accused of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass at Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station collapsed following the revelation of Kennedy's activities as an undercover policeman.^[3]

Danny Chivers, who was one of the six successful defendants in the case, said Kennedy was not just an observer, but an agent provocateur. "We're not talking about someone sitting at the back of the meeting taking notes - he was in the thick of it."^[4]

In a taped conversation obtained by BBC Newsnight and broadcast on 10 January 2011 but made some weeks earlier, Kennedy told an activist he was "sorry" and "wanted to make amends". Kennedy admitted he had been a serving police officer at the time of the Ratcliffe arrests, but said he was not one now. He also told the activist "I hate myself so much I betrayed so many people...I owe it to a lot of good people to do something right for a change... I'm really sorry."^[5]

According to the Guardian, Kennedy was born in Camberwell, South London on 7 July 1969, joined the Met police around 1994 and served with them till March 2010. In February 2010, while still serving as a Police Officer, he set up Tokra Ltd, a private company at the same address as a security firm which works for the energy company E.ON, the owners of Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station. Later in 2010 he set up Black Star High Access Ltd, based in east London.^[6]

On 15 January 2011 Kennedy told The Mail on Sunday that he was not a rogue cop, and was in daily contact with his bosses: "My superiors knew where I was at all times – my BlackBerry was fitted with a tracking device – and they sanctioned every move I made. I didn’t sneeze without them knowing about it. I feel I’ve been hung out to dry."^[7] He also claimed that the police withheld from the defence covert recordings which would have shown that the defendants were not guilty.

German MP Andrej Hunko raised questions in the German Bundestag concerning what the German authorities knew about Kennedy's activities amongst the Berlin protest movement. Kennedy had been arrested in Berlin for attempted arson, but was never brought to trial. Hunko also asked: "How does the federal government justify the fact that [Mark Kennedy], as part of his operation in Germany, did not only initiate long-term meaningful friendships but also sexual relationships, clearly under false pretenses?". The Bundesregierung refused to answer any questions concerning PC Kennedy for operational reasons.^[8]

In a Channel 4 interview broadcast on 14 November 2011, Kennedy stated that, in the guise of an environmental activist, he was used by the police forces of 22 countries and that he was responsible for the closing down of the Youth House community centre in Copenhagen.^[9] He also stated that he was hired by German police between 2004 and 2009 and allegedly committed two crimes on their behalf, one of which was arson.^[9]

References

1. ^ Collins, Nick (10 January 2011). "What is the National Public Order Intelligence Unit?". The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8250346/What-is-the-National-Public-Order-Intelligence-Unit.html. 
2. ^ Evans, Rob; Lewis, Paul (10 January 2011). "Undercover officer spied on green activists". The Guardian: Main section, p. 1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/09/undercover-office-green-activists. 
3. ^ Lewis, Paul (11 January 2011). "Undercover officer knew of second spy". The Guardian. 
4. ^ Jones, Meirion (10 January 2011). "Trial collapses after undercover officer switches sides". BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12148753. 
5. ^ "Undercover PC Mark Kennedy 'really sorry for betrayal'". BBC News. 11 January 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12158198. 
6. ^ Evans, Rob; Hill, Amelia; Lewis, Paul; Kingsley, Patrick (13 January 2011). "Mark Kennedy: secret policeman's sideline as corporate spy". The Guardian: Main section, p. 9. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/12/mark-kennedy-policeman-corporate-spy. 
7. ^ Graham, Caroline (16 January 2011). "'I'm the victim of smears': Undercover policeman denies bedding a string of women during his eight years with eco-warriors". The Mail on Sunday. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1347478/Undercover-policeman-tells-amazing-story-years-eco-warriors-I-fear-life.html. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
8. ^ Pidd, Helen; Lewis, Paul (11th January 2011). "Fallout reaches Bundestag as MP asks about 'trespass' in Berlin activists' lives". The Guardian. 
9. ^ ^{a b} Evans, Rob; Lewis, Paul (13 November 2011). "Undercover policeman admits spying on Danish activists". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/13/undercover-policeman-admits-spying-danish-activists. 

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Name	Kennedy, Mark
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