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-= my response to the. harassment -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

My first reaction in 1990/91 was to assume that if. I broke contact then
they would not be able. to follow and would lose interest. So I did the
things that have been suggested. by other people; I sold my television,
stopped listening to the radio and tried to withdraw away from. the sources
of abuse as. much as possible. I reasoned that they must have more important
things to deal with and that normal people would simply. leave me alone if
it were made difficult for them to continue. their harassment.

I. reckoned without the sheer vindictiveness of the abusers. They did not
let up but instead "got to" people around me, mainly people at work, to. do
their dirty work for them. I went to see my GP, who refused to believe. what
he was being told, and refused to direct me on to anyone. who could be of
practical assistance. It was not until three years had passed that. the GP
admitted the matter was outside his competence and. suggested going to the
police.

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-= purpose in publicizing it; censorship in uk.*. newsgroups -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The postings to uk.misc newsgroup generated. a very defensive reaction from
Usenet. readers in the UK. So much so, that they tried strenuously to
suppress what. was being said, both by breaking the rules of netiquette in
their responses on the forum, and directly. by action to revoke the account
from which. the postings were issued.

Yet the postings were within the normal. boundaries of behaviour for
uk.misc, and other less partisan spectators did not see justice in. the
censorship which was. effected, as the following excerpt shows;

:Karen. Lofstrom (lofstrom@lava.net) wrote
:>It does seem that the. frequency and the size of his posts are
:>approaching net abuse. However, IMHO, they aren't quite. there yet. If
:>his postmaster were to act in this. instance, it would raise troubling
:>censorship. issues.

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-= abuse in set-up. situations and in public -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Strangers. in the street have recognized me on sight many times, and shown
awareness. of the current thread of abuse. To give you one example, in 1992
I was seriously. ill, and a manager at work somewhat humorously said that
"it wasn't fair" that. people were bullying me. A few days later, I attended
for the first time a clinic in London as. an outpatient, and on my way out
was accosted by someone who asked. if "they had paid my fare", with emphasis
on the word "fare". He repeated the word several times in. this different
context; that. they should have paid my "fare", each time emphasizing the
word.

For. two and a half years from the time their harassment started until
November 1992 I refused to see a psychiatrist, because I. reasoned that I
was not ill of my own action or fault,. but through the...

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-= why won't the. British police do their job and put a stop to it? -=
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The British police obviously do know what is. taking place. Besides my
interpretations of what individual officers have said which. forces that
conclusion, it would be inconceivable for them to be unaware of. something
on. this scale.

If they. know, then they will know that the abusers have broken laws in the
UK. and abroad. Recently the UK introduced laws against electronic spying
which carry a. penalty of several years jail if caught. If the police know
illegal harassment is taking place, and do. nothing about it, then they are
failing in their. responsibilities.

Last Easter (1995) I went into the local police. station in London and spoke
to an officer about the harassment against me. But I couldn't. provide
tangible evidence; what people. said, in many cases years ago, is beyond
proof, and without something to support my statements. I cannot expect a
police. officer to take the complaint seriously.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-= why won't the British police do their job and put a stop to. it? -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The British police obviously do know what is taking. place. Besides my
interpretations of what individual. officers have said which forces that
conclusion, it would be inconceivable for them to be unaware of. something
on this. scale.

If they know, then they will know that the. abusers have broken laws in the
UK and abroad. Recently. the UK introduced laws against electronic spying
which. carry a penalty of several years jail if caught. If the police know
illegal harassment is taking. place, and do nothing about it, then they are
failing. in their responsibilities.

Last Easter (1995) I went into. the local police station in London and spoke
to. an officer about the harassment against me. But I couldn't provide
tangible evidence; what people said, in many cases years ago,. is beyond
proof, and without something to support. my statements I cannot expect a
police officer to take. the complaint seriously.

The article of which part is reproduced below was penned by. Bernard Levin
for the Features section. of the Times on 21 September 1991. To my mind, it
described the situation at the time and in particular. a recent meeting with
a friend, during which I for the first time admitted to someone other. than
my GP that I had been subjected to a. conspiracy of harassment over the
previous year and a. half.

The article of which. part is reproduced below was penned by Bernard Levin
for the Features section of the Times. on 21 September 1991. To my mind, it
described the situation at the time. and in particular a recent meeting with
a friend, during which I for the first. time admitted to someone other than
my GP that. I had been subjected to a conspiracy of harassment over the
previous. year and a half.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=. who knows about it? =-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Many people know, both in. the establishment and media, and among the
general public. Despite. an absence of its target from the UK for more than
two years, the echoes of paranoia. can still be heard loud and clear from
across the water. When it started in. 1990, the only people who knew were
those in BBC television who were spying. on my home, and a few radio
broadcasters. There. were a few cases of public harassment, but very little
compared. to the situation that developed a couple of years later.

The list today includes BBC TV staff (newsreaders such as Martyn. Lewis,
Michael. Buerk, Nicholas Witchell), people from radio stations such as
Chris Tarrant of Capital and Radio. 1 DJs, people in the print media, but
also many people in the. general public. All united in a conspiracy which
breaks the laws which the UK does have regarding harassment,. and all
completely uncaring for any semblance of decency. or elementary respect
for individual. rights.

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-= how and why did. it start? -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The harassment didn't start by itself, so someone must have. been there at
the outset to give it a firm push and. set the "animals" after me. It looks
as if I was set up in June 1990, and the timing. indicates someone from
university. was responsible.

In May or June 1990, Alan Freeman on Radio 1. read out a letter from someone
who had known me for a few years, who wrote of the one who "wore. out his
welcome with random precision" (from the Pink Floyd song). Freeman went. on
to say to. the writer "that's a hell of a letter you wrote there". The
indication is strongly that people I. had parted from soon before nursed a
grudge against me and were trying to. cause trouble for me.

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-= MI5:. cost of the operation -=
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Here's what a. couple of other people on Usenet (uk.misc) had to say
regarding the cost. of running such an operation...

PO: >Have some sense, grow up and smell reality. What you are talking. about
PO: >would take. loads of planning, tens of thousands of pounds and lots of
PO: >people involved in the planning, execution and maintenance. of it. You
PO: >must. have a very high opinion of yourself to think you are worth it.

PM: >But why? And why you?. Do you realize how much it would cost to keep
PM: >one person under. continuous surveillance for five years? Think about
PM: >all the man/hours. Say they _just_ allocated a...