Reclaim your DNA - words from David Mery

Listen to an interview with David Mery on reclaiming his DNA...

DNA - information doesn't get much more personal...

On July 28 2005 at 7:30pm, not long after the 7 July 2005 London bombings, David Mery went from work to take the tube to meet his wife. As he entered the tube station, he passed several police officers. David went down the stairs to the platform and while waiting on the platform for the tube to arrive, David was surrounded by several police officers who informed him he was to be searched under Section 44 of the terrorism act.

The stop and search led to David's detention for several hours, the cordoning off of the street fifty meters distance from the outside the tube station. The police ended up arresting David for 'public nuisance'. The charges against David were later dropped but the police retained all the information that had been collected from David despite being innocent of any offence. He launched a lengthy bureaucratic and legal battle to have his DNA and other information removed from government databases (Part 1 of interview | David's documentation).

Below you will find audio files featuring an interview in three parts with David, who tells his story and explains his reasoning to pursue a rather arduous battle for a police apology, and the eventual expunging of his DNA, fingerprints and PNC record. David puts into question the effectiveness and lawfulness of the UK National DNA database. He also provides an interesting analysis on the recent European Court of Human Right's ruling on the Stop and Search powers of the UK government, as well as looking to the future of surveillance...

If you have been arrested in Britain and not found guilty of a crime, you are probably in a very similar position to David and therefore in a position to demand that your records be removed in similar fashion.

In which case why not take a page out of David's book? Refuse cooperation and complicity with the illegal state surveillance and control that is the DNA database. Check out the 'Reclaim your DNA' campaign, and David's suggestions on how to reclaim your civil liberties, as well as interesting analysis on the UK police state and propaganda machine.

Note: This interview featured on the 52nd episode of Dissident Island Radio.

Attached Files

01. David Mery - his story from his arrest to the eventual police apology

02. David Mery - the DNA database and why and how to expunge your information from police records

03. David Mery - on the after effects of being criminalised and observations on the Stop & Search powers in the UK

Links:

David 'Panda' Mery's Blog

A website full of detailed information and interesting analysis on issues surrounding arrest, criminality, surveillance, propaganda and civil liberties in the UK. Definitely have a look!

Dissident Island Radio

Contact email: dissidentisland [at] riseup [dot] net