The Ciggy Busters were just kidding. Well that's ok then.

Dave Atherton has just passed on this reply from Kent Police:

Dear Mr. Atherton,

Thank you for contacting us to highlight your concerns and those of your members with the recent Hundred of Hoo School "Ciggie Busters" campaign/event.

The school contacted Medway police prior to the event and discussed it with our events manager. We were advised that actors would play the role of the 'smokers' with students approaching them, before taking the cigarette from them and 'advising them' about the health issues.

In addition to this Medway NHS were to also be involved as well as the council.

We did advise the school that to approach non-actors could cause problems and to our
knowledge no non-actors were approached. No one has made any allegations of crime regarding this matter, (in so far as no one who was approached has made any complaints).

The school involved police and other agencies in their planning and I believe took on board all our advice and comments. The filming and actions were part of a project the students were under taking and I am told the cameras were clearly visible to all in attendance. This was a deliberate part of the planning as overt cameras and the use of actors would hopefully prevent the people being approached being offended in
any way.

If a person who was not an actor was approached and their property taken etc. we would consider their complaint. However, as no one appears to have been approached in this manner, we shall not at this time be taking this matter further.

I am sorry you feel offended by this incident, but I can assure you that it was meant to be a light hearted educational project, with no harm intended.

Yours faithfully,

Michael
A/ Det Chief Inspector
Medway Police Station.

(Emphasis mine)


So. It was a light hearted educational project. No members of the public were approached; only actors were used. Therefore, no further action is required.

To start off, the newspaper report clearly said that members of the public, who had not given consent, were approached.

I knew we could not really go and film in public and attack people in that way and take goods off of them, so we devised a cunning plan.

We planted some people and we started with them. People were watching and following us and at the end we tried with some other people.

“I was scared about doing something so crazy on the street - I mean you can get arrested.

You can't get arrested for attacking willing participants. The actors were only there to make the whole excercise look acceptable for when they moved on to "other people".

Just for arguements sake, lets assume that Kent Police are correct and that it was only actors that were used. The papers either misquoted or embellished the story. It's within the realms of possibility.

So because they beleive it was only actors and because no member of the public has made a complaint, they dont deem it necessary to take any further action.

I think someone is missing the point.

A group of people who don't approve of another group have staged a street theatre condoning assaults on that gropup with the intention of making that group stop whatever it is that they dont approve of.

Viva are an animal rights group that disapprove of halal meat.

What would happen if members of viva attacked muslims in a local market and stole halal meat from them? Even if they only used actors, this would be seen as inciting racial violence. We all know how our police take race far too seriously.

These people consider homosexuality to be an evil abomination.

Any street theatre, violence on not, that condoned prejudice against shirt lifters would be stamped on hard and fast by the local plod.

Any other situation you can think of that used similar tactics against a minority would be deemed illegal and stopped.

Dale McAlpine a Christian Preacher was charged with causing “harassment, alarm or distress” after a homosexual police community support officer (PCSO) overheard him reciting a number of “sins” referred to in the Bible, including blasphemy, drunkenness and same sex relationships.

All he did was quote from the bible and he was arrested and charged.

I'm not particularly concerned that PC Copper doesn't want to get involved. Far to many people get arrested for the most piddling of trifles these days. What does annoy me is:

1) The knowledge that if someone had assaulted one of these kids (had they not used actors), they would likely be in the nick themselves.
2) As all these monority "victim" groups get more and more protection from being "offended", smokers are becoming third rate citizens. I cant think of another group of people who are treated so badly by society. Even kiddie killers can claim human rights.
3) Why would school children want to do this in the first place. Has society been so indoctrinated against smokers that children don't see any problem with grose interference in the lives of other people. Other people who have done nothing at all to interfere in anyone elses lives or done any harm to anyone else. I suppose the answer is yes.

But the smokers fought back this time. The ciggy Busters are history. Eveyone involved in this little stunt has disappeared. I doubt they will be silly enough to attempt this again.

No, we don't need the plod. All we need is ourselves. We need to show the righteous that we will not longer put up with their shit. Just like we did with the ciggy busters. Just like Anna is doing with Sandwell council.

The red mist has descended.