An Ever Evolving Form… February 6, 2009
Posted by bensix in Uncategorized.trackback
From the 16th February, it’ll become an offence to take a picture of a police officer that is ‘likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism‘.
Let’s take a quick look at those photographers that’ve already been abused or intimidated as a result of “anti-terrorism”…
“The NUJ has accused the police of abusing its stop and search powers after a photographer was detained for 45 minutes whilst she was covering a wedding in London Docklands.
Jess Hurd was taking photos of a traveller wedding last Wednesday – on UN Human Rights Day – for a long term documentary project on the persecution of travellers when she had her camera taken from her and was detained under section 44 of the Terrorism Act.”
“Phil Smith thought ex-EastEnder Letitia Dean turning on the Christmas lights in Ipswich would make a good snap for his collection.
The 49-year-old started by firing off a few shots of the warm-up act on stage. But before the main attraction showed up, Mr Smith was challenged by a police officer who asked if he had a licence for the camera.
After explaining he didn’t need one, he was taken down a side-street for a formal “stop and search”, then asked to delete the photos and ordered not take any more.”
Schoolchildren (for fuck’s sake)…
“At the end of October, 15-year-old schoolboy Fabian Sabbara was stopped by three police community support officers for taking photos of Wimbledon station on his mobile phone. His explanation that he was merely conducting a traffic survey and taking photos as part of his GCSE course work cut no ice.
The PCSOs required him to give his details and sign a form or else, he claimed, they would have arrested him under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act.”
The thought of these newly above-board possibilities must be exciting to our authoritarians. To think! No more will they have to grind their teeth and tolerate young squirts like this…
“Tallis, a London-based photographer, was covering the anti-BBC protest on Saturday 24 January when he was approached by a police officer. Tallis had just taken a picture of the officer, who then asked to see the picture. The photographer refused, arguing that, as a press photographer, he had a right to take pictures of police officers. According to Tallis, the officer then tried to take the camera away.
Before giving up, the officer said that Tallis ’shouldn’t have taken that photo, you were intimidating me’.”
The new laws will make it rather more difficult to document police incompetence or brutality. The next George Holliday, for instance, could find himself pinned against a wall, signing forms as Rodney King’s shuttled away.
Wankers. Speed the day when they’re forced to sit at home, building websites to fool themselves into self-importance.
Yes but can I take a picture of my own balls still?
Huh. I went to school with Justin – cheers for the tip.