Cineforum: The Spies Who Ruined Our Lives

For over 40 years a secret organisation spied on British citizens, if you supported women’s rights, wanted to save the planet or opposed racism, you were a target. As part of official police business, officers were sanctioned to go deep undercover and even father children with those they were reporting on.

In the words of those women this was 'State sanctioned rape'.

Over 1000 groups were infiltrated and spied on. The spy cops created new personas by stealing the identities of dead children. They used these new personalities to start relationships with women. They also used their new identities to have sex with women and in some cases, they even had children. Then once they had what they wanted, they abandoned the women and vanished without trace.

​These women wouldn't find out the truth until decades later. ​The men were in fact, undercover police officers who were infiltrating completely lawful groups.​

"They believed, and probably still believe that if you hold certain ideals and ideas, then you ought to be spied on. It's straight out of George Orwell. It's straight out of 20th century totalitarianism."

When their activities were exposed, rather than taking immediate action, the government ordered an inquiry, which was to be held in secret, and the identities of 140 undercover spies were hidden.

The women decided it was time to fight back.​

"Had I known that he was an undercover police officer at the time, it would've had a devastating effect on me and I would've regarded it as rape. He was wearing a mask. I didn't know who he was. I wouldn't have consented to have sex with this man. So in that sense, it's non-consensual. It's state sanctioned rape."

We hear the testimony of five women who were deceived by undercover police spies as well as Tariq Ali, Tom Fowler, Peter Hain and an undercover police whistle-blower. While not all of the latter contributors will necessarily be popular with an Irish, partiuclarly northern, audience (yes we remember Hain's days as Secretary of State who was no doubt privy to spying by other agencies in the wee North with no complaint) we will have a short video presentation from Jason Kirkpatrick who was among those befriended and spied upon when Mark Kennedy was operating in Northern Ireland and elsewhere.

We also will be hearing a video presentation from co-producer of the film Jason Kirkpatrick. Jason was befriended and spied upon while Mark Kennedy was operating in Northern Ireland. Kennedy is believed to have acted 'illegaly' in spying on activists in 14 countries outside Britain.

While the inquiry was never extended to include the activities of the spies in the North their activity goes back to the 1980s and included spying on Just Books and the Belfast Anarchist Collective, then based in Winetavern Street. Above is one of a number of Metropolitan Police Special Branch reports unearthed and available on the Undercover Policing Inquiry website.

Event Venue

The 'A' Centre, 6 Wellington Court, Belfast, United Kingdom