Are Photographers terroists???

[Parageiss]

Well according to Ken Livingston and the Met Police we are

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/2311166742/

http://www.met.police.uk/campaigns/campaign_ct_2008.htm

[Photoness]

Its ridiculous. they better ban camera phones then

[Dotty.c]

your joking.......what a f**king waste of tax payers money, this makes my blood boil, they should be sorting out our home grown terrorists, namely the llittle basta**ds hiding their faces in hoodies TERRORISING local communities, and stabbing every one in sight.

[andy2]

sorry police cant arrest criminals murderers and what nots to much trouble so they have to take it out on lesser mortals :agree:like photographers and litter droppers to name a few.

[Parageiss]

I have sent all the details to the BBC2 discussion show Jeremy Vine Show, its aired Monday - Friday 12noon - 2pm lets hope they take it up and have a discussion on the show

[Blue72]

they really are clutching at straws and have reached an all time low.

Lets all go to London and take pictures of Scotland Yard..all togs together and see what they do!!!!!!!!!

[karl-tkd]

your joking.......what a f**king waste of tax payers money, this makes my blood boil, they should be sorting out our home grown terrorists, namely the llittle basta**ds hiding their faces in hoodies TERRORISING local communities, and stabbing every one in sight.

I fully agree with you Dot, it's as if they want tp point the finger at easy targets.

When was the last time you saw bobby's on the beat on a daily basis?? They should be as you say tackling street crime thats getting worse but at the moment because there's no law walking the streets these violent youth's know they WILL get with most of the crime they do.

It will get to the stage that we will have to apply for permits that allows us take images in major cities and have a necklace type ID badge around our necks.....??

[karl-tkd]

they really are clutching at straws and have reached an all time low.

Lets all go to London and take pictures of Scotland Yard..all togs together and see what they do!!!!!!!!!

....they'll come at us with batons......??

[rpthorne]

Plenty of tourists (oops, sorry, 'terroists') in London for the Police to arrest and hit their targets***sarcasm3**

[tonymidd]

I've one consolation from this; I was snapping in Oxford Street, Hyde Park, Greenwich and around the Dome a couple of weeks ago and no one shopped me so maybe I don't look odd :snap2::snap2::clapping::clapping:

[shivinski]

No Tony, you would probarbly get away with any kind of snapping you do. The people who'll get the worst end of the stick are people like me (young, slight eastern-european tan/look, and a very slight czech/russian accent about him). I can just see, in a few months time, if this campaign grows big, and the public become aware of it, people will be pulling phones as soon as I even point my lens at a CCTV camera or local airport!
But I guess the photographers who truly have it worst are ones of a middle-eastern origin with a distinctive tan! I really do fear for what this country is turning into!

EDIT: Ha! Well I've carried on reading the Metropolitan Police website, and found that its not just us photographers they have it in for, its multiple phone users too!: http://www.met.police.uk/campaigns/counter_terrorism/ct_phone_2008.pdf

Ok, hands up who own's more then 1 mobile, I need to go report you!

[tonymidd]

No Tony, you would probarbly get away with any kind of snapping you do. The people who'll get the worst end of the stick are people like me (young, slight eastern-european tan/look, and a very slight czech/russian accent about him). I can just see, in a few months time, if this campaign grows big, and the public become aware of it, people will be pulling phones as soon as I even point my lens at a CCTV camera or local airport!
But I guess the photographers who truly have it worst are ones of a middle-eastern origin with a distinctive tan! I really do fear for what this country is turning into!

How wrong you are, I do a fair bit of candid street togging I'm regularly stopped by the law wanting to know what I'm doing. I've been arrested a few times, and at Upper Heyford a few years back spent an interesting and frightening couple of hours with the American Air Force Police.

It's not just the met who jump on togs....

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=725284

[bartonflyer]

Tony,

Just for fun you could darken your skin with some instant coffee & put a Yasser Arafat tea-towel round your head then see what happens :nut:

Ian

[tonymidd]

Tony,

Just for fun you could darken your skin with some instant coffee & put a Yasser Arafat tea-towel round your head then see what happens :nut:

Ian

you'd probably never see me again.....thinks...maybe that's what Ian wants :):)

[bartonflyer]

you'd probably never see me again.....thinks...maybe that's what Ian wants :):)

Not before we've had that landscape day on Cannock Chase!!

[canon_shooter]

oh SNAP!!!! I'm gonna be in London on May 23rd and part of 24th and because of my mentor's teaching me attention to DETAIL, I tend to shoot unusual things, definitely non-touristy stuff.

Tony, can ya come bail me out if my Southern Belle accent and charm don't work?????? Please.....

[copycat]

Just found this whilst out there surfin the net and thought you good folks might like a look.

http://current.com/items/88856223_you_can_t_picture_this

[BenGillam]

i was thinking of taking some photos at the station when i was in london a few weeks ago.

was going to try a slow shutter speed during rush hour to capture all the mad movement but the station itself being still but didnt because i was worried about the police having a go and now i see this...

sucks Royally.

I was ok in trafalgar sq but then there were 100s of people snapping away.

wonder how many points the coppers get for arresting an innocent tog.

grrr

got no sound here will watch that video when i get home.

[copycat]

Funy having the sound on will just shock you even more

[Alan W]

There is no photography ban in London, I see hundreds of people taking thousands of photos in London every day with police walking past taking no notice whatsoever. All I will say is that if you decided (for example) to take an unhealthy interest with your camera in a entrance, perimeter fence or CCTC cameras of any 'sensitive or iconic site' then you probably will be challenged. It is very well documented that Al Queda terrorists spend years of reconnaissance taking video and photos of the planned target before an attack.

[BenGillam]

Funy having the sound on will just shock you even more

Does not suprise me in the slightest. Plastic policing at its best but this just proves my point above. If i was to have taken that station shot they probably would have got shi**y with me.



There is no photography ban in London, I see hundreds of people taking thousands of photos in London every day with police walking past taking no notice whatsoever. All I will say is that if you decided (for example) to take an unhealthy interest with your camera in a entrance, perimeter fence or CCTC cameras of any 'sensitive or iconic site' then you probably will be challenged. It is very well documented that Al Queda terrorists spend years of reconnaissance taking video and photos of the planned target before an attack.

granted al queda take pictures like this (and google street level maps in the us :wacko:)

but who has the right to deem what is or isnt dangerous.
there is such a thing as abstract phototograhy and people dont always just take pictures of a landmark.

the way i see it, getting challenged for taking a picture of something unusual, say a close up crop of something in a station and getting challenged for it, is like being accused of being a murderer if you had painted a picture with someone dieing in it, whilst its not mainstream it would still be art. Photography is an art just the same. I have an eye for what i think makes a good shot, be it portrait landscape abstract or even something in between and i should be able to take a shot of it. Now i just feel like everything im doing im going to be watched and suspected when Im in a built up place like london. Which is a shame as it can be a wonderful location for some very good images.


n.b

(just to make myself clear, i have nothing against PCSO's however I am very disolusioned by their apparent lack of power and training and seemingly a cheap way of getting "bobbies on the beat". I have several pcso friends who work very hard and do a good job, not their fault they are caught up in a policy i dont agree with)

[bobby47]

On a visit to Exeter Cathedral the main steward said that the Council had tried to stop photographers taking photos externally on the green.

The Cathedral stood up to the Council saying its their land & they will say who uses cameras on it.

Ive heard of similar instances.

Any one heard of Napoleaonic Law? Its creeping into Britain. No longer are we inocent until proved guilty. Now The State is All . Or summat similar. Have U noticed.

[kendavies]

For any UK based photographers, Austin Mitchell has presented an early day motion regarding photography in public places (he's a keen photographer himself).

Take a look at:

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=35375&SESSION=891

and then use http://www.writetothem.com to see if we can make a difference.

[copycat]

Thanks for the links Ken. Here's mine:

Dear Colin Challen,

I write to you with reference to:

Early Day Motion (EDM 1155)


PHOTOGRAPHY IN PUBLIC AREAS
11.03.2008


Mitchell, Austin

That this House is concerned to encourage the spread and enjoyment of photography as the most genuine and accessible people's art; deplores the apparent increase in the number of reported incidents in which the police community support officers (PCSOs) or wardens attempt to stop street photography and order the deletion of photographs or the confiscation of cards, cameras or film on various specious ground such as claims that some public buildings are strategic or sensitive, that children and adults can only be photographed with their written permission, that photographs of police and PCSOs are illegal, or that photographs may be used by terrorists; points out that photography in public places and streets is not only enjoyable but perfectly legal; regrets all such efforts to stop, discourage or inhibit amateur photographers taking pictures in public places, many of which are in any case festooned with closed circuit television cameras; and urges the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers to agree on a photography code for the information of officers on the ground, setting out the public's right to photograph public places thus allowing photographers to enjoy their hobby without officious interference or unjustified suspicion.


I would ask your support in this matter, it is unjust that photographers are being demonised and portrayed as potential terrorists by police forces around the country. As example I attach the following web links:

http://current.com/items/88856223_yo...t_picture_this

http://www.met.police.uk/campaigns/campaign_ct_2008.htm


It is more likely that photographers like myself will be the people to spot and report suspicious activity, photographers just like me are out on the streets every day of every week, not just clicking cameras but watching the world around them. Please help to put a stop to this unjust harrassment of innocent voters.

I await your response.


Yours sincerely,

Glenn ******

[Parageiss]

I sent an email to John Swinney last week, I received this email this morning

" Dear Mr Neve

John Swinney has asked me to thank you for your email. I would be grateful if you were able to provide a note of your full postal address, in order for a full response to be provided.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely
Elaine Wylie
Office Manager to John Swinney MSP "

In response to this

Dear Mr Swinney

As a keen photographer I am getting increasingly worried about the interference of police, community support officers (PCSOs), or wardens to deny the right of a photographer to freely take photographs in public spaces, I hear increasing reports that the police, PCSOs and security wardens stopping photographers and asking them to delete what is stored on their cameras, threatening them with taking their camera off them even violence. It is getting to the point were photographers don't like taking their camera out any more, photography is increasing and is sometimes the only way members of the public can express themselves with a form of art.

There was a case were a fellow photographer was stood on a public footpath taking photos of a golf course, a security guard came and demanded that he remove any photographs of the course, the photographer refused, so the police was called, the female police office demanded that he remove the photographs, (which can only be done via a court order) after being threatened with arrest the photographer did, the police in this matter breached the photographers rights and by threatening him with arrest broke the law and the photographers human rights.

The met police are now encouraging the general public to report any photographer that is taking photographs in a suspicious manner, the advertisement is branding photographers as terrorists, you can see the ad campaign here

http://www.met.police.uk/campaigns/campaign_ct_2008.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/2311166742/

With millions being spent on CCTV around our city centre why do the government now plan to target the photographer?, is it a case of the government is allowed to watch us 24/7 but the photographer is not allowed to take out their camera.
I was at Edinburgh castle in the summer I saw hundreds of tourists taking photographs, most of the photographers had a middle eastern appearance, if these people were to be stopped from taking photographs, or that each one were reported taking photographs in a suspicious manner, people will stop coming to the UK for a vacation and the UK government could find themselves breeching Human Rights.
I feel that the government plans will heighten the already nervousness of terrorism, but now they are pushing the idea anyone with a camera could be a terrorist, if a white/British person can be stopped I really feel that tourists from middle eastern and Asian countries taken photographs are going to be a target for racial abuse, misinterpretation of the law and harassment.

*Photography is not a crime. Taking photographs is part of a rich tradition of art, social commentary and historical documentation. I'm very disappointed seeing London's Metropolitan Police decide to take this course of action and worry that this sort of backward thinking will continue to spread the bogeyman myth that photographers and photography are the enemy when they very much are not.



Yours sincerely,


Peter Neve

[rpthorne]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7351252.stm

[Jayne_yorks]

Are photographers terrorists?.hmmmmmmmmm i kill alot of shots , does that count? :)

[BarryM]

olympus bin laden ??



Il get me coat ..............:(x

[Jayne_yorks]

hahaha..yeah how did you guess?