14 DAY TRIAL // Rob Gilchrist, a member of Greenpeace, has been working for the New Zealand police department since 1998, supplying them with data about environmental groups such as GP, Peace Action Wellington and the Vegan Balaclava Pixies, as well as anti-Iraq War groups, civil rights groups and other such organizations. His girlfriend, and colleague in the fight for a cleaner environment, stumbled upon the e-mails that incriminated her "partner" and blew the whistle on the whole deal.
"There's a name for countries that spy on their critics, dissidents and protesters in this way. I don't know how the police can justify prying so intrusively into our lives," says Labor activist Rochelle Rees, who is also a 22-year-old animal rights proponent, as quoted by the Sunday Star-Times. "Protests are part of a healthy democracy. The police are supposed to be protecting that but instead they are inhibiting it. It’s foolish of them since stomping on peaceful protest is the best way to make people more extreme and push them underground."
The police says that, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, they had to take all precautionary measures possible to ensure national security. But everyone else sees their actions for what they really are – an unjustified control over groups that oppose the mainstream. There are no extremists in vegetarian groups that could pose a threat to national security. This concept is so abstract, that no one really knows what it's all about, so the police and intelligence services worldwide use it to make their job sound important.
Gilchrist received $600 + expenses per week, for his "contribution" to national security. He was asked to give detailed information about what was being discussed at the meeting he attended, about future actions and plans, about leaders and members and so on. He supplied the police with detailed information about these things, allowing authorities to stump down harshly on legal and peaceful protesters. No wonder some of them turned to extremes to defend themselves.
"He was always interested in who was keen on illegal actions and would often make it known that he was keen to be involved in anything illegal or undercover. He would be really pushy and persistent about planning illegal activities and then would suddenly lose interest, claiming it was too difficult or that he was busy. He was always keen on planning dodgy stuff, but on the occasions when we did break the law [for instance, an open rescue of battery hens] he would always have an excuse and pull out at the last minute," adds Wellington Animal Rights Network member, Mark Eden, quoted by the Sunday Star-Times.