Photography is under attack. Across the country it that seems anyone with a camera is being targeted as a potential terrorist, whether amateur or professional, whether landscape, architectural or street photographer.
Not only is it corrosive of press freedom but creation of the collective visual history of our country is extinguished by anti-terrorist legislation designed to protect the heritage it prevents us recording.
This campaign is for everyone who values visual imagery, not just photographers.
We must work together now to stop this before photography becomes a part of history rather than a way of recording it.
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.
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 4th 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.
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
Last week the Independent ran a front page story about the police harassing photographers using Terrorism laws, otherssoonpicked up the story and the day after Head of ACPO Media Advisory Andy Trotter was on the BBC Breakfast sofa with the Independent journalist who had been stopped & searched. He was forced to admit defeat and issued new guidelines to ACPO Chief Constables:
Section 44 Terrorism Act and Photography
Adverse media coverage of the police service use of Section 44 powers, when dealing with issues relating to photography, have recently hit the headlines again and suggests that officers continue to misuse the legislation that is available to them. The evidence also suggests that there is confusion over the recording requirements of ‘Stop and Account’ and the actual police powers of ‘Stop and Search’. The purpose of this letter is to clarify the legislation and guidance in relation to these matters.
Stop and Search Section 44 gives officers no specific powers in relation to photography and there is no provision in law for the confiscation of equipment or the destruction of images, either digital or on film.
On the rare occasion where an officer suspects that an individual is taking photographs as part of target reconnaissance for terrorist purposes, then they should be treated as a terrorist suspect and dealt with under Section 43 of the Act. This would ensure that the legal power exists to seize equipment and recover images taken. Section 58A Counter Terrorism Act 2008 provides powers to cover instances where photographs are being taken of police officers who are, or who have been, employed at the front line of counter terrorism operations.
These scenarios will be exceptionally rare events and do not cover instances of photography by rail enthusiasts, tourists or the media.
The ACPO/NPIA Practice Advice, published in December 2008, is again included with this letter and specifically covers the issues surrounding photography. The guidance also includes the need for clear briefings on the use of Section 44 and it may be appropriate to include photography issues within those briefings.
Stop and Account Encounters between police officers and PCSOs and the public range from general conversation through to arrest. Officers need to be absolutely clear that no record needs to be submitted to cover any activity that merely constitutes a conversation.
Only at the point where a member of the public is asked to account for their actions, behaviour, presence in an area or possession of an item, do the provisions of the PACE Act apply and a record for that ‘stop and account’ need to be submitted. Even at that point, such a discussion does not constitute the use of any police power and should not be recorded under the auspices of the Terrorism Act, for example.
Officers should be reminded that it is not an offence for a member of the public or journalist to take photographs of a public building and use of cameras by the public does not ordinarily permit use of stop and search powers.
Yours sincerely
Andrew Trotter OBE QPM Chief Constable Head of ACPO Media Advisory Group
Yet days later Architectural Photographer Grant Smith was Stopped & Searched in London after he refused to give his name (which he is perfectly within his rights to do) while photographing a church. He’s sent us this after it happened:
On a beautiful sunny day in London I was taking photographs of Wren’s steeple at the ruined Christ church, Newgate, which adjoins the building occupied by Bank of America and Merrill Lynch.
After about 20 minutes of taking photos, a security guard approached asking for ID and the purpose of photography. I refused to give any details. Shortly after a suited head of security came out to ask me the same questions under the pretence of ‘hostile reconnaissance’ . Again I refused. I had no obligation to provide corporate security guards any of this information as I was in a public space.
I moved away from the building, under the constant surveillance of the guard, and crossed the road to get a wider shot.
I was then approached by a PCSO who crossed the road and asked what me what was I doing, again I declined to give any information. He responded that if an ‘incident takes place, like a bomb going of,f in the near future and I hadn’t questioned you, I wouldn’t be doing my job properly.’
After his departure I heard police sirens coming from the east and west. and watched in stunned amazement as 3 police cars and a riot van arrived, all with flashing lights. They pulled up outside the entrance where the guard had approached me. 3 of them marched toward me and said they were responding to an ‘incident’. Apparently there was ‘…an aggressive male who had been in reception of the building taking photographs of the staff, and who refused to leave’.
I argued this with the police officer, saying that this was wrong. I was not in the building reception, I was not photographing staff, nor had I been asked to leave. I was asked by police what I was doing and it was obvious I was taking photographs, but I initially declined to give any further information. During this questioning, one of the police officers was admiring my camera, and commented amusingly on my ‘I’m a photographer, not a terrorist’ badge.
My camera bag was searched for terrorist related paraphernalia (notebooks and maps I assume), despite my lame protestations.
The police officer again asked for my details as he produced his stop search form. When I said that I was not obliged to give the details, he said I would be physically searched, which did not sound like a very pleasant experience. So I gave my details and was not detained any longer.
All of this was because I declined to be bullied or intimidated by a security officer, who now have what appears to be the full backing of the police in their assessment of photographers.
Grant has been interviewed by ITV London Tonight and More4 News about the incident:
Sorry it’s a bit late notice but tomorrow I’m Photographer Not a Terrorist! will be taking part in a panel discussion at Signs of Revolt:
“This panel looks at the impact of digital photographic tools on reporting events, particularly post-G20 and how the State is trying to criminalise image taking and the ways photographers are getting organised to resist this. This will be interspersed with photo shows and film clips from the archives of some of the key movements photographers and filmmakers.”
The panel includes photojournalist Jess Hurd, photojournalist and investigative reporter Marc Vallée, film and print journalist Jason N. Parkinson and filmmaker Shaun Day.
11am, Sunday 15 November 2009 Shop 14, The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL.
Home Office issues new advice on Photography and Terrorism Laws
Brings Home Office in to line with NPIA and Met advice
New guidance for use of s76 on journalists and tourists
On Tuesday afternoon the Home Office sent out advice to all the Chief Police Officers in the UK about the use of Terrorism laws on photographers, they say:
This circular has been produced to clarify counter-terrorism legislation in relation to photography in a public place. Concerns have been raised that sections of the Terrorism Act 2000 are being used to stop people taking photographs – whether this is photographs of buildings or people – and that cameras are being confiscated during such searches.
It then goes on to clarify police powers under sections 43 and 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and is broadly in line with the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) and Met Police advice issued earlier this year. However, it then comes to give new advice on s58A – more commonly known as s76 – which makes it an offence to photograph a police officer or member of the armed forces:
An officer making an arrest [under section 76] must reasonably suspect that the information is of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. An example might be gathering information about the person’s house, car, routes to work and other movements. [...]
It is a statutory defence for a person to prove that they had a reasonable excuse for eliciting, publishing or communicating the relevant information [Under s76]
Important: Legitimate journalistic activity (such as covering a demonstration for a newspaper) is likely to constitute such an excuse. Similarly an innocent tourist or other sight-seer taking a photograph of a police officer is likely to have a reasonable excuse.
Leaving aside the whole issue of who or what the police deem to be ‘legitimate journalistic activity’ something which Commander Broadhurst – Head of Public Order at the Met – failed to grasp earlier this year at the NUJ Photographers Conference. This new advice does nothing for the thousands of amateur and professional wildlife, landscape, architectural or street photographers who are routinely harassed by police whilst taking photographs.
We have seen a letter from the new Policing minister, David Hanson, sent to the National Union of Journalists yesterday who this new advice seems to be in response to. In the closing paragraph of his letter he says:
I believe this circular removes once and for all any suggestion that the new offence can be used to prosecute innocent photographers such as responsible journalists, simply because they are taking a photograph of a police officer. I am enclosing a copy of the circular for your reference.
Letter to Jeremy Dear, General Secretary, NUJ – David Hanson, Minister for Policing
Photographer Justin Tallis is questioned by Bedfordshire police about photographing police officers on a demonstration. Image: Jonathan Warren
We will be watching carefully how this new advice is adopted as we know of at least two occasions where s76 has been threatened against press photographers in public order situations.
The new advice also ignores Special Procedure Material under PACE which gives journalistic material a higher level of protection from seizure by police (The police have to go to a county-court judge and explain why they need it) After protests by the National Union of Journalists the Met changed their advice to include the caveat that when searching someone who identified themselves as a journalist that ‘Officers should exercise caution before viewing images as images acquired or created for the purposes of journalism may constitute journalistic material and should not be viewed without a Court Order.‘
We did contact the Home Office to ask why their advice did not include Special Procedure Material but they did not respond.
Marc Vallée has published the letter from the Home Office minister in full on his blog.
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.
