Plod, plod, plod

In the run up to the recent royal wedding there was an apparent mass suspension of leftwing Facebook profiles, groups assuming an individual identity, as opposed to a page, on Facebook. The following profiles, among others, were suspended:

Open Birkbeck

UWE Occupation

Chesterfield Stopthecuts

Camberwell AntiCuts

IVA Womensrevolution

Tower Hamlets Greens

No Cuts

ArtsAgainst Cuts

London Student Assembly

Beat'n Streets

Roscoe 'Manchester' Occupation

Bristol Bookfair

Newcastle Occupation

Socialist Unity

Whospeaks Forus

Ourland FreeLand

Bristol Ukuncut

Teampalestina Shaf

Notts-Uncut Part-of UKUncut

No Quarter Cutthewar

Bootle Labour

Claimants Fightback

Ecosocialists Unite

Comrade George Orwell

Jason Derrick

Anarchista Rebellionist

BigSociety Leeds

Slade Occupation

Anti-Cuts Across Wigan

Firstof Mayband

Don't Break Britain United

Cockneyreject

SWP Cork

Westiminster Trades Council

York Anarchists

Rock War

Sheffield Occupation

Central London SWP

North London Solidarity

Southwark Sos

Save NHS

Rochdale Law Centre

Goldsmiths Fights Back

A freedom of information request, asking if the Metropolitan Police had any hand in the suspension. This was the reply:

It is likely that other areas, departments and partner agencies within the
Metropolitan area would have been involved in the operational policing of
extremist organisations for the Royal Wedding. To confirm or deny whether
we communicated with Facebook or monitored profiles, would compromise our
ability to continue our policing role, jeopardise police tactics and
reveal police capabilities. In this current environment of an increased
threat of terrorist activity, providing any details that could assist
extremists or criminals of any organisation would undermine the
safeguarding of national security. To enable the criminal fraternity to be
better informed about the intelligence, capabilities, resources and
tactics available to the MPS, would greatly impact on police resources in
planning future operations. There are criminals who would seek to obtain
tactical details to improve on their plans to avoid being detected and
apprehended. To disclosure any information is likely to impact on police
resources, should the MPS continually have to change their actions,
tactics and methodology due to a FOIA disclosure.

You hear that, Rochdale Law Centre? You're part of the 'criminal fraternity'.