“..In march this year Greenpeace made a dramatic attempt to stop a coal ship leaving Lyttelton harbour.
Greenpeace’s flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, tried to block the path of the Hellenic Sea, while three activists scaled the coal carrier and bolted themselves to it.
A large number of police intervened and one policewoman leapt from a speedboat on to a Greenpeace dinghy.
Six people were arrested.
Greenpeace protester Rob Gilchrist filmed the whole drama from his Land Rover on shore.
Gilchrist was not just working for Greenpeace, though.
He was also working for the police.
He had told police beforehand about the planned protest.
He had been both spy and demonstrator at many protests by Greenpeace and other activist groups..
..for nearly 10 years.
During the past decade the police spent tens, possibly hundreds, of thousands of dollars getting Gilchrist to spy on environmental groups, anti-Iraq War groups, poverty and beneficiary rights groups, animal welfare groups, GE-free groups and many others.
The police pressed him to gather information not only about the groups’ protest plans..but also the personal lives and relationships of members.
He had relationships with women in the groups, one for four years, adding to the pressure of living a double life.
He now says he is “embarrassed and sorry for deceiving and hurting people he cares about”.
go to source/story>>The activist who turned police informer – Focus – Sunday Star-Times
