Mass Gathering in defence of street photography
I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! invite all Photographers to a mass photo gathering in defence of street photography.
Following a series of high profile detentions under s44 of the terrorism act including 7 armed police detaining an award winning architectural photographer in the City of London, the arrest of a press photographer covering campaigning santas at City Airport and the stop and search of a BBC photographer at St Pauls Cathedral and many others. PHNAT feels now is the time for a mass turnout of Photographers, professional and amateur to defend our rights and stop the abuse of the terror laws.
And thanks to the lovely people at Spreadshirt there’s now free shipping on everything in our shop with the promo code 23JAN. So go buy a hoodie or 3!
Social Media
You can use the Twitter hashtag #mpg to follow what’s going on and Flickr users can tag their photos with this Upcoming Event by adding the tag: upcoming:event=4903212 to your photos.
12 Noon
Saturday 23rd January 2010
Trafalgar Square
Posted by A Photographer
Tags: Event, London, Mass Photo Gathering, Photographers Rights, s44, Stop & Search, Trafalgar Square
Filed under: Events, Featured
I wouldn’t normally get involved, but enough is enough. My train tickets from Derby have just been booked. I’ll be there!
Rob.B
[...] The good people at PhotographerNotaTerrorist.org have set up a protest for January 23rd. I will definately be going. More details on their blog. [...]
I’ll make sure my “guys” are there
It’s a crazy idea and perhaps might be difficult to arrange but it the police turn up in huge numbers we could all stand in a circle facing out and do an instant panorama. What a poster that would make if it could be stitched!
See you there!
The only reason I won’t be there is if I am dead or in prison.
Excellent idea
Couple of threads about it on talk|photography (http://tinyurl.com/ybs9n6k) – hope it is good turn out!
all of you are going to get hell beaten out of you.
the main pig does not want you taking his picture, because that might get him into trouble…
if you want to get hurt, arrested and a police record, here’s your chance. you will accomplish nothing more. nobody cares what you “think” – only that you keep your mouth shut and do as you are told. and if not, they’ll shut it for you!
Bit dramatic aren’t we?
What a little ray of sunshite you are, dearie.
Wow! That person has certainly been in the holiday spirits! Guys; although I am across the pond in the colonies, my heart is with all of you. The police are now overstepping and trying to take away your liberties. Stand up, do it politely, and write, call, petition your representatives. Hell, write the Queen!
Best of luck to you, and I hope you will get some international press coverage (Fox News, CNN, ABC, NCS, CBS, BBS, etc) Be sure to send them regular press releases, and get them to cover it!
For the reasons you say Monte-I urge eveyone to BE THERE.
If you think street photography is under attack, try being an aviation photographer.
I will do my utmost to be there also.
Great job organizing this
Peter
This is an excellent idea!
Two people close to me have been affected by this, one a professional and one an amateur (for photographing clouds of all things!). So, I will definitely try to be there and let others know about this.
I can’t make this but have posted a link here http://vjforums.com/showthread.php?t=26896&page=5
Excellent work. I’ve also posted a link from my site.
Blogged it
http://bastardoldholborn.blogspot.com/2009/12/thousand-words.html
I’ll be going.
Here’s why: http://rhythmaning.livejournal.com/221151.html
See you there!
will do my best to make it
I’d be there, but I’m hundreds of miles away.
It’s on my birthday, too, so I’ll be pissed as a fart and in no condition to take pshtcrsas.d
May be worth a look (listen), just to make sure this initiative does not get caught up on some technicality that has nothing at all to do with photography….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRGZr2m4r7M
It’s quite amusing too.
I shall do my damnedest to be there…
Have you all seen this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAs4gZY1bro
There’s a story in the times about how police stopped a terrorist because he was taking photos in a suspicious way.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6957646.ece
The point is that there’s one thing to enquire what people are doing. Quite another to tell them to stop when the activity is not illegal.
Wouldn’t a number of parallel protests not be more effective?Similar protests could be held simultaneously across the UK, giving it a stronger impact.
For those of us who are equally affected by this harrassment but can’t make the trip to London, is it possible you could arrange simultaneous protests in other cities?
I’d attend a protest in Glasgow or Edinburgh and I feel this would give a greater sense of both the widespread nature of the problem and the depth of feeling photographers have about it.
Sorry, that should read “Wouldn’t a number of parallel protests be more effective?”
I would’ve been there had it not been for a prior engagement I cannot miss.
I do suspect that the police will ignore the photographers and simply do a ‘crowd management’ function. Once the photographers have all gone home they will go back to their old ways.
What we need is unpublished events where one photographer is visible and two or more are close at hand taking photos/video of any proceedings. They will tire of being caught out.
You might enjoy Steve Bell’s take on this issue from the Guardian…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cartoon/2009/dec/07/steve-bell-anti-terror-laws
And The Guardian’s Paul Lewis taking the proverbials out of the City plods: “From snapshot to Special Branch: how my camera made me a terror suspect
Casual shots of London’s Gherkin attract stop and search just days after police were reminded street photography is no offence
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/11/snapshot-special-branch-terror-suspect
Also from The Guardian’s Peter Walker and Paul Lewis, “Taking a photograph in a public place has become the quickest way to attract police attention, as increasing numbers of photographers can verify. But now it has emerged that anti-terrorism officers are uneasy about a far less sophisticated piece of surveillance technology: the watercolour brush and canvas”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/18/antiterrorism-police-stop-painter-airport
Yopu couldn’t make it up!
A friend informs me that the latest initiative is for police officers to patrol in threes: one reads, one writes, and the third keeps an eye on the two intellectuals.
I try my best to attend. All it depends on ‘them’.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kombizz/4189295063/
Wish i could be there to lend some support… I wish you the best..
I offer my support from across the pond! Wish I could be there.
Urban SIN London definitely will be there!
If I could afford the fare I would be there-but will be in spirit. The odious practice of interrogating snappers has spread to Australia. Photographers have been questioned on Bondi Beach-a favourite location for busloads of Japanese tourists to let loose with their Canons.
But an ordinary picture takers are questioned on a regular basis-one was even charged under a non-existent law with the case turfed out by a magistrate. Yet the local council still insists they have the right to prevent, control-or charge a fee for taking photos on a beach that is , like all Australian beaches publicly owned with local councils having no control over laws that dictate whatever actions happen on a beach. The fear is now spreading with innocent tourists being questioned photgraphing government buildings etc. Yet anyone can actually view a building or area via google street view ?
Government and the Police appear to be mistaking Orwell’s 1984 for some kind of instruction manual. If we’re no longer free to take photographs without being hassled by the State then the terrorists have won, haven’t they? I’ll be there
I will definitely be there.
Re. the “Gherkin Incident” – I did a quick search on the Internet and discovered: the names of key people associated with that building’s security, the shift patterns, the original specifications and locations for its security equipment, locations of perimeter CCTV cameras, info on IT arrangements, drawings of the building, and useful notes on structure, loadings, etc. Compared with that, photos of the exterior are nothing.
As others have pointed out, no “survelliance” photos have ever been found in relation to recent terrorist incidents. The only possible instance quoted by the police relates to the alleged semi-covert use of a camera phone in connection with suspicious behaviour and even then the exact reason for its use is unproven.
The logic therefore breaks down, but aside from that, the erosion of trust and of fundamental liberties is pernicious and needs to be highlighted. Unless common sense starts to be applied by more of the police, people will treat them with a increasing wariness that is deeply unhealthy.
Their problem is that when it comes to cameras, the only use for them that the police can comprehend is for surveillance of one form or another. Ergo, anyone with a “good” camera is automatically suspect. This sort of failure of imagination is depressing and goes hand in hand with Authority’s never-ending desire to stamp its heavy boot on any kind of artistic or creative endeavour.
Shame that it is on the same day as the EDL circus in Stoke,
hard to decide but Stoke looks favourite to me, i guess this
is on the thoughts of others aswell but wish you all the best
and look forward to the next one.
I hope to be there – was going to purchase a t-shirt from the shop too but the free shipping code of 23JAN was only valid for a week and expired on 21 Dec… any chance of an extension?
The fight for the right to take pictures in public is a proxy for the defense of democracy in the UK.
I would urge for massive civil disobedience. Take pictures of police officers all the time. Preferably with long telephoto lenses. Know your rights, refuse to be submissive, argue back, have the phone number to a lawyer at hand, report the arresting officer. If you are arrested, have a friend take pictures of the incident, if he/she is arrested a third person starts to take pictures of the second arrest, etc. If 1000s of people did this all the time the message to the establisment might just sink in.
this is worth a look and listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTmXzSaZrzI
My support from Williams Lake, B.C., Canada where the Olympic Torch Relay is going to have our small town become a police state for a coupleof days.
Cane we have an event on the 23rd in York? I have to go there and can’t be in London. There’s photographers up North you know!
It’s very important to highlight this. Its great and its a huge issue.
It’s happened to us at the studio loads of times.
It’s time we all stand up for it
Count me in.
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US cops have also arrested people filming them:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/12/police_fight_cellphone_recordings/
If I wasn’t going to be out of the country, I would definitely be there.
This is such an important topic – wondering if anyone out there who is feeling passionate about it might consider talking at the next Ignite London in early March? For more details visit http://ignitelondon.net
Good luck everyone!
I’ll be there. These developments are frightening.
Count me in. Things are twisting in this country and too many of the freedoms are being eroded. Let’s make this big.
http://www.urbanearth.co.uk
http://www.geographycollective.co.uk
I’m tempted to go to picadilly circus or similar one day, and start taking pictures. When I’m told to move off and I refuse, I could get arrested. If I do this, and am subsequently shown to be innocent of being a terrist, does anyone think that blip on my record would make international travel difficult?
I’m definitely coming. hope to rope some friends in too.
Hope to be there in body, but will defnitely be there in spirit, power to the photographers
have the organisers spoken to the police about meeting in trafalgar square?
just wondered…
[...] http://PhotographerNotaTerrorist.org/2009/12/mass-photo-gathering/ [...]
I was recently at Westfield shopping centre taking a few snaps of the hell hole, when the security asked me to stop taking pictures because I might be a a terrorist. What a bunch of jokers.
It is time to make a stand and I will be there…
Monte says:
“all of you are going to get hell beaten out of you.
if you want to get hurt, arrested and a police record, here’s your chance.”
Way to knuckle under like a good little robot, Monte! Spineless supporters of fascist regimes everywhere salute you! Now go back to watching your telly and let the big people talk, okay?
Can’t make it for this protest – though I would love to be there. I’m embarrassed by this latest abuse of power by the British Police. They should be accountable and punished when bullying members of the public with this Terrorist photography crap.
I once got stopped by a member of the Royal Protection squad who said I might be shooting in one direction but they could be shooting in the other and they don’t use cameras.