PHNAT has now received a response from the GLA on the incident recorded by filmmaker @indyrikki at Parliament Square on Budget Day.

A spokesperson for the GLA said: “The behaviour of one of the wardens shown in the video clip falls well below the standards required by the GLA. It was clearly not appropriate and the byelaws were not being interpreted correctly. We apologise for this lapse and action will be taken to address this.”

Information:

Based on the video clip there was no reason to ask the user of the camera to stop taking images or asking them to leave nor was there any reason to have ushered other members of the public, who were simply enjoying the Square, off of the open grassed area.

There are no restrictions on the use of cameras or camcorders for private or amateur use and a scheme is in place which authorises members of the professional media to go about their news gathering activities on Parliament Square.

In terms of non commercial and amateur photography/footage, the GLA has no legal power, or interest, in relation to where imagines are posted/published, that is totally a matter for the person taking the recording as they are responsible for what they do with their images.

The only time that the use of a camera is likely to be an issue is if an individual is causing harassment to a warden and preventing them carrying out their duties.

On Wednesday 21 March 2012, budget day, filmmaker @indyrikki walked on to the green at Parliament Square. The above video documents what happened next.

In response and to try and gain some clarity on the Parliament Square bylaws PHNAT sent the following open letter to the Mayor’s office, the Culture Department and the GLA.

Dear Sir/Madam,

As you may be now aware this video has appeared on the Internet showing a photographer being told to move from Parliament Square because the reissued bylaws stated no one was allowed on the grass. The varying allegations towards the photographer then get worse from there on. The incident happened on Wednesday 21 March.

http://london.indymedia.org/videos/11961

The video raises some important questions, which need to be clarified. Photography rights campaign group I’m a Photographer Not a Terrorist (PHNAT) is hoping that you are able to provide some guidance on these matters.

Is there any part of the by-law that says an individual is not allowed on the grass at Parliament Square for any length of time?

If so, how long is an individual allowed to stay on the grass before being asked to move?

Is there any part of the by-law that says an individual, professional or amateur, is not allowed to take photographs or film?

The by-laws state that you need prior permission to film or photograph if it is for commercial use. Can you please define what is meant by commercial use? It seems very unclear from this film that the Heritage Wardens or even Heritage Warden Manager Dean Eardley don’t seem to know what is meant by commercial use.

Is posting an image on a website” considered commercial use”?

Is posting an image on a website that is “pro or anti something” considered commercial use?

Are there any further details as to what can and cannot be published on a website?

Do you have any specific websites in mind that people should not publish their non-commercial material on?

Why are the Heritage Wardens shooing tourists off “like pigeons” from the Parliament Square green?

We look forward to your answers to these questions.

Yours Faithfully,

Jason N. Parkinson

I’m A Photographer Not a Terrorist

Olympic Stadium © London 2012 Press Office

With a huge police operation, thousands of troops, private security and new legal powers taking over parts of London during the upcoming Olympic & Paralympic games, the PHNAT campaign will be closely monitoring the experiences of photographers, both amateur and professional, around the events & sites.

We want to hear from you any experiences or incidents, positive or negative, that you’ve had photographing around the olympic site in the run up to or during the games, or otherwise in connection with the olympics (increased stops with olympics given as a reason etc).

Help us track the impact of London 2012 on press freedom & the right to photograph, share this page and if you or anyone you know has issues, please let us know. Email us at olympics@photographernotaterrorist.org *

* – Please note, we cannot give any form of legal advice regarding any incidents, we are just collating accounts.

More Reading: Olympic 2012 Security: Welcome to Lockdown London - The Guardian