There was a great turnout at the Victory Flashmob on Sunday with around 60 of us happily snapping away, free from police harassment. We’ve rounded up some of the coverage from the flashmob below, post a link in the comments if we’ve missed anyone out.

Images © Jonathan Warren, Jess Hurd & Marc Vallée 2010

Photos

• PHNAT Victory Flashmob 4 July – Kevin Blowe/Copwatcher
• Photographer NOT a Terrorist – Dave Nash/GnasherUK
• Victory Flashmob – Section 44 is Dead! – Mike Hellers
• Victory Flashmob – Section 44 is Dead! - David Mery/acrostich
• PHANT Victory flashmob – Tim Brechin/the-tick
• PNAT victory flashmob - Louise Whittle/HarpyMarx
• S44 flashmob – Rudy Cech

Reports

Photographers ‘flashmob’ Scotland Yard over terrorism law – Amateur Photographer

Yesterday the European Court of Human Rights rejected the governments appeal to its decision in January that ruled Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in breach of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Although the Home Office has said it is still considering how the ruling affects the law and the police will continue to use it. It’s possible that any Stop & Search under s44 since 12th January 2010 will be open to legal challenge, so hang on to any receipts.

Unfortunately there are still a swathe of laws that police use to harass photographers, most notably s43, which is similar to s44 but requires an officer to suspect that you are a terrorist and s76 which makes it illegal to ‘elicit information about a police officer’ which includes photographing them.

In the meantime we’re going back to the place where our campaign started, outside New Scotland Yard. We’ll be gathering at 12 noon, this Sunday 4th July (Independence Day!) Come along and lets celebrate a little more freedom for photographers.

Facebook Event Google Map

12 Noon. 23 January.
Trafalgar Square.

For Immediate Release

The use of Stop & Search without grounds for suspicion has been ruled illegal by European Court of Human Rights. This ruling from Strasbourg comes as thousands of photographers are set to gather in London on Saturday 23rd January to take mass action to defend their right to photograph after a series of high profile detentions under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act.

These included the detention by seven police of an award winning architectural photographer in the City of London, the arrest of a press photographer covering a protest at City Airport and the Stop & Search of a BBC photographer outside St Paul’s Cathedral.

Our society’s visual history is under threat of extinction by anti-terrorism legislation. Section 44 of the Terrorism Act has in effect ended the confidence of the citizen to engage in the act of photography in a public place as photographers, artists and illustrators, amateur and professional are harassed by police invoking terrorism legislation to stop and search them. The act of documenting our street scenes and public life, our built environment, whether iconic or not, is now considered to be an act of hostile reconnaissance and could result in the detention of the image-maker.

The Mass Photo Gathering has been called by the campaign group I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! which has over 11,000 followers on Facebook.

Notes for Editors

I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! Is a campaign run by photographers for anyone who values visual imagery. It was set up in 2009 in response to new terrorism laws preventing the photographing of police officers with a media event attended by hundreds of photographers outside New Scotland Yard.

For more details, see the following links:

http://PhotographerNotaTerrorist.org/events/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Im-a-Photographer-Not-a-Terrorist/128534046017

http://twitter.com/PHNAT

hello@photographernotaterrorist.org

ENDS

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.

London, UK
For Immediate Release

Photographers to “Flash-Mob” Canary Wharf – as new campaign for photographers’ rights is launched.

A new campaign for photographers’ rights launched this weekend – with more than two hundred leading photographers showing their support for the PhotographerNotaTerrorist.org website by holding up a placard saying “I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist!” – will help all photographers to understand and uphold their legal right to take photographs.

The campaign will fight for photographers’ rights across the country, opposing police repression and the abuse of anti-terrorism legislation. It will challenge the unreasonable restrictions in pseudo-public spaces such as shopping centres and Canary Wharf.

Anti-Terror Map

The website will map the use across the country of anti-terrorism legislation which can impose prison sentences for simply photographing a police officer and whose wide-ranging draconian powers allow police to stop and search anyone even where there is no reasonable suspicion of terrorism at all.

Stop & Search Bust Card

Also featured on the site will be a ‘bust card’ for photographers that will set out their legal right to take photographs when stopped by police or security staff.

Canary Wharf ‘Flash-mob’

The campaign calls for a National Photographers Flash-Mob of Canary Wharf on 12th September 2009 and is calling for photographers across the country to highlight spaces where photography is unreasonably restricted. The flash-mob action will highlight how heavy handed private security guards are restricting individual liberty and press freedom by preventing photographers from pursuing their hobby or their profession.

The London flash-mob will be 3pm at the Clocks, Canary Wharf, London. Other locations to follow.

ENDS

Notes to editors:
Photos of the campaign launch party are available at: http://PhotographerNotaTerrorist.org/launch-party-photos

Contact

hello@PhotographerNotaTerrorist.org

Jess Hurd – 07713 151 765
Jeff Moore – 07870 209 766

PhotographerNotaTerrorist.org