Images © Grant Smith, Jess Hurd, Marc Vallée & Jonathan Warren

We held a very successful flashmob outside London City Hall today, World Press Freedom Day, to highlight the harassment of photographers by security guards on privately owned but publicly accessible areas of London.

We also delivered a letter to Mayor Boris Johnson explaining how security guards were preventing people from quite legally photographing buildings in the city.

The security guards who usually swoop down on photographers who dare bring a ‘professional’ camera out on More London property were nowhere to be seen and even the City Hall security guard who took the letter to the Mayor kept a stiff upper lip as he was mobbed by photographers in the lobby.

Dear Mr Johnson

Today is World Press Freedom Day, photographers from all over the city have come to City Hall to express their frustration at the behaviour of private security guards.

The event has been organised by the campaign group, I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! (PHNAT), which was set up to fight unnecessary and draconian restrictions against individuals taking photographs in public spaces.

PHNAT is concerned about the role of private security guards in the prevention of terrorism. Their role has been promoted by police, with the result that many privately employed guards are illegally preventing citizens from taking any photographs at all.

Areas designated as public realm are often privately managed spaces that are subject to rules laid down by the private management companies. Most insidious of these is the outright banning of photography in some of our most widely enjoyed public spaces, such as Canary Wharf and the Thames Walk between Tower Bridge and City Hall.

We are bringing this issue to the attention of the general public to highlight the creeping restrictions to press freedom and the right of the citizen to photograph in a public place.

Yours Sincerely

Concerned photographers

More photos and coverage:

• Photographers Attack ‘Insane’ Security Rules - Amateur Photographer
• Snappers hold City Hall flashmob in protest at photography restrictions – London SE1
• Photographers’ freedom call: Flashmob at City Hall – John Slattery
• Snappers slam Canary Wharf photography laws – The Docklands
• Architectural photographer makes City Hall protest – Building Design
  
• Photographers gather to protest public photography restrictions – British Journal of Photography
• Photographers organise London City Hall flashmob on World Press Freedom Day – National Union of Journalists
• We’re photographers not terrorists, say press freedom day activists – Ekklesia
• Photographers’ City Hall Flashmob – Peter Marshall

Photographs © Grant Smith & Marc Vallée

I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! (PHNAT), the campaign group set up to fight unnecessary and draconian restrictions against individuals taking photographs in public spaces, is organising a flashmob outside London’s City Hall.

The event takes place on World Press Freedom Day and is supported by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) London Photographers’ Branch (LPB).

PHNAT is concerned about the role of private security guards in the prevention of terrorism. Their role has been promoted by police, with the result that many privately employed guards are illegally preventing citizens from taking any photographs at all.

Areas designated as public realm are often privately managed spaces that are subject to rules laid down by the private management companies. Most insidious of these is the outright banning of photography in some of our most widely enjoyed public spaces, such as Canary Wharf and the Thames Walk between Tower Bridge and City Hall.

The mass gathering will highlight the restrictions on street photography in a public space. Photographers are encouraged to bring a tripod.

An illustrated PHNAT pamphlet will also be launched at the event. Created by PHNAT and LPB members, supported by the NUJ, British Press Photographers Association (BPPA) and the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, it will celebrate the history of the PHNAT campaign.

Facebook Event

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

For Immediate Release

Event: Outside New Scotland Yard, 4 July 2010, 12 Noon.

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

It follows a series of high profile incidents of police harassing photographers. Last Friday the Metropolitan Police accepted liability and paid compensation for a breach of Article 10 when they prevented photojournalist Marc Vallée and videographer Jason Parkinson from covering a demonstration outside the Greek Embassy in 2008.

On Saturday a 15 year old was stopped photographing army cadets parading in Romford by police claiming they did not need any powers to detain him, he is now taking legal advice about the incident.

And today the Home Office said it was reviewing it’s procedures for photographing people in public order situations as the Financial Times revealed that the police held criminal intelligence reports on people who had not been convicted of any crime. Including Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn and Fiyaz Mughal, interfaith and extremism adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Campaigners from the I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! group have called a flashmob outside New Scotland Yard this Sunday 4^th July at 12 noon to celebrate the ECHR ruling and call on the Government to repeal s44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

One of the organisers of Sunday’s flashmob, Jess Hurd said:

For street photographers the battle against the misuse of the terrorism laws has been frustrating and at times absurd.

The abuse of these laws has united amateur and professional in defence of press freedom and civil liberties. We will not be intimidated by these unjust laws that pick on innocent citizens, and criminalise photography.

We urge all those who have been stopped since the original ruling in January to seek legal representation through their respective organisations.

Penny Quinton’s & Kevin Gillan’s victory against s44 in the European Court of Human Rights has been a long struggle for justice, achieved with the support of the NUJ and a committed legal team. It is a major success that should be celebrated across society.

Photographers are organising an ‘Im a Photographer Not a Terrorist’ Flashmob this Sunday, at noon, New Scotland Yard to celebrate our victory and determination not to be harassed by this, or any other law. Please join us.

Notes to 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. In January it organised a mass photo gathering in Trafalgar Square that attracted over 2,000 photographers from across the country.

Journalists win payout after police admit failing to respect press freedom – The Guardian

Officers claim they don’t need law to stop photographer taking pictures – The Independent

Police use of protest photos will face review – The Financial Times

Judges reject government appeal over stop-and-search – BBC News

Contact

Jess Hurd – 07713 151765

hello@photographernotaterrorist.org

http://PhotographerNotaTerrorist.org

http://twitter.com/phnat

ENDS

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

Freedom to Photograph – Reclaim Our Shopping Centres

Few people know about the restrictions on photography in ‘public’ spaces like shopping centres unless they have been frog-marched out of Canary Wharf, Westfield or the Arndale Centre by burly security guards.

These private shopping meccas welcome people spending their money but threaten to call the police if they bring out a camera.

We have picked a typical shopping day in September to highlight to the public these ‘photo free zones’ and we encourage all photographers, amateur and professional, to Flashmob their local shopping centre on Saturday 12th September at 3pm. Or come to the flashmob in London.

London – Canary Wharf

Facebook Event Google Map

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Elsewhere

If you can rally a good number of people in your city for your own flashmob event announce it using the #PHNATMob hashtag on Twitter or on our Facebook page.

Get in touch with us and we’ll help you promote it.