Campaigners from Police Spies out of Lives speak to the media after the publication of first part of the report from the Undercover Policing Inquiry, at Blackfriars Settlement, south east London, June 29, 2023
UNDERCOVER cop Carlo Neri tried to “induce” activists into firebombing a charity shop, a government inquiry heard today.
Former trade union organiser and socialist Joe Batty gave evidence on the first day of Tranche 3 (Phase 2) of the inquiry, describing how one of the most notorious undercover police officers attempted to lure him and activist Dan Gillman into illegal actions.
Mr Batty had been involved in the group No Platform when he came into contact with Carlo Neri, whose real name was Carlo Soracchi.
He told the inquiry: “I do believe that over New Year’s Eve 2002 to 2003, when Carlo got engaged, he tried to induce both myself and Dan Gillman— as has been said— to engage in firebombing a charity shop.”
Carlo Neri has faced prior allegations of encouraging this plot on a charity shop linked to a prominent Italian neo-fascist Roberto Fiore, who was in Britain at the time.
In written statements to the Undercover Policing Inquiry, he claimed that Mr Soracchi and a woman named Donna McLean, who had a two-year relationship while undercover, got engaged on New Years Eve 2002.
This was despite Mr Soracchi having a wife and children under his real identity.
Mr Batty said that following the announcement of their engagement later in the night, Mr Sorachhi brought up neo-fascist Mr Fiore, known to him and Mr Gillman.
“[Neri’s] intention was clearly to pique our interest, and he went so far as to suggest that it would be ‘terrible’ if something like a firebombing were to happen to the building,” Mr Batty said.
“He had simply told us where to find the shop and brought up the idea of a firebombing.”
He added: “Looking back, I don’t know whether he genuinely thought that we would take his suggestion seriously or if he was trying to entrap us.
“But what I do know is this: Dan and I never considered firebombing that building. The idea never came from us— it came from Carlo Soracchi, and the idea went absolutely nowhere.”
The group infiltrated by Carlo Neri, No Platform, was mainly involved in disrupting meetings and activities by the BNP and other far-right organisations.
Phase 2 of Tranche 3 of the inquiry will focus on the roles of 10 undercover officers working in the Special Demonstration Squad.
Most of them operated between 1995 and 2008.
