Captain Gatso

Captain Gatso (born in the late 1960s[1]) is a pseudonymous England-based political activist involved in motorists' rights, specifically relating to speed limit enforcement.[2] The name derives from speed cameras, some of which are manufactured by Gatsometer BV and referred to by the abbreviation Gatso.[3]

Gatso has said that he "may or may not be" the campaign director of Motorists Against Detection (MAD),[1] a group which claimed responsibility for speed camera destruction and damage in 2003.[4][5] Gatso wore a plastic Tony Blair mask during stunts and photo ops, in reference to the prime minister of the time.[1] He said in a 2004 interview that he has "never gone round disabling cameras" personally.[1]

In August 2023 a caller to TalkTV identifying themselves as Captain Gatso claimed to be the campaign director of the 'Blade Runners', a group who have sabotaged surveillance cameras in London in response to the expansion of the city's Ultra Low Emission Zone. [6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Macalister Hall, Malcolm (26 April 2004). "We're MAD as hell..." The Independent. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  2. ^ "We're MAD as hell..." Independent. 26 April 2004. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  3. ^ Lyall, Sarah (26 October 2006). "British drivers wage war on speed cameras - Europe". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Speed camera destroyed in a day". BBC News. 10 February 2004. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  5. ^ Khan, Stephen (7 September 2003). "Saboteurs take out 700 speed cameras". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Anti-ULEZ Vigilante Justifies Camera Destruction". TalkTV. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.