"I am not a Terrorist": 'Not A Crime' photography Campaign

Tash [alan lodge] | 15.07.2009 18:50 | Indymedia | Repression | Terror War

Nottingham photographer 'Tash' strongly supports the British Journal of Photography Campaign

Police routinely invoke anti-terror legislation to prevent photographers from carrying out their work, and photojournalists are constantly filmed at public gatherings and their details kept on an ever-growing database. Tourists, particularly foreign tourists, are also targeted by police, as was the case with an Austrian father and son recently who made the mistake of photographing a building of an extremely sensitive nature—Walthamstow bus station.
Put simply, Britain has become a no-photo zone, and so if you fail to comply, you may find yourself liable to attack, arrest or harassment. Recognising that Britain is not the only country where such a draconian anti-photographer culture is developing, the British Journal of Photography is beginning an international visual campaign to raise awareness.

'Not A Crime'

http://www.not-a-crime.com

The fight-back begins here - BJP 15 July

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=865556

I ask you tp please add your own support, It's kinda urgent.

Not A Crime - BJP Campaign

http://www.not-a-crime.com

The fight-back begins here - BJP 15 July

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=865556

New police guide 'is flawed' - BJP 15 July

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=865557

Metropolitan Police - Photography advice

http://www.met.police.uk/about/photography.htm

Police given a dressing down - BJP 8 July

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=864860

Metropolitan Police photography advice 'selective', says media law solicitor - BJP 10 July

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=865254

the mets unlawful & misleading new photo-laws

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/07/434417.html

____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email:

tash@indymedia.org
Member of the National Union of Journalists [No: 014345]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________

Tash [alan lodge]
e-mail: tash@indymedia.org

Comments

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Letsby Avenue my lad

15.07.2009 20:09

Why should a tourist taking a picture of the BT tower or a London square (like Connaught Square) be required to account for his actions? It seems that the job of the police and security forces is to protect the interests of the rich and the powerful. I was `happrehended` after taking a pic of Tony Blair's £3.5 million abode in 29 Connaught Square:

https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/world/2009/07/434061.html?c=on#c227874

I was asked to delete a photo - laughably, the one they asked me to delete was one of the garden of my hotel which was some 2 miles from Connaught Square. When I pointed out this gaffe the WPC changed the subject and happily I was not sent to the tower.

Seriously, though, isn't asking someone to delete a photograph like destroying evidence (evidence of what? in my case) or something like that?

Paul.

Paul O'Hanlon
mail e-mail: o_hanlon@hotmail.com

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again?

15.07.2009 20:45

second time you have quoted that story, oh how we all laugh at the Mets stupidity compared to you, If you were in charge all things would be better.

havent you got a cab to drive.

Yes the anti terror legislation is badly written and draconian, but the police didnt write it, they dont really have a say in it.

So what if they asked you to delete the image, if it was of your hotel garden then take another, they are being asked to stop a bomb going off.
Yes they are protecting blair, hes a high profile target, you arn't, get over it. It must piss the cops off protecting a ####### like blair, they dont get a choice.

So basicaly you photographed blairs place to get yourself stoped, so you could whinge about it. Jesus! you try that in China or Zimbabwe you just disapear.

So now somone with a small tash is walking about with a sign saying he's not a terrorist so as to highlight that people are getting stopped under this act. Do you think that only bearded arab men with a copy of the Koran and smelling of semtex should be stopped? This aint SUS, they are clutching at straws here, they just convicted a BNP bloke for it and he was stopped for a minor public order charge.

There are two sides to this not just "the cops are always wrong we are always right."

anon

Deleting photos....

15.07.2009 23:40

They can't make you, nor can they do it themselves:

"Members of the public and the media do not need a permit to film or photograph in public places and police have no power to stop them filming or photographing incidents or police personnel. "

"Officers have the power to view digital images contained in mobile telephones or cameras carried by a person searched under S44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, provided that the viewing is to determine whether the images contained in the camera or mobile telephone are of a kind, which could be used in connection with terrorism. Officers also have the power to seize and retain any article found during the search which the officer reasonably suspects is intended to be used in connection with terrorism."
Photography and Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000

"Officers have the power to view digital images contained in mobile telephones or cameras carried by a person searched under S43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to discover whether they have in their possession anything which may constitute evidence that they are involved in terrorism. Officers also have the power to seize and retain any article found during the search which the officer reasonably suspects may constitute evidence that the person is involved in terrorism."
Photography and Section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000

"Any officer making an arrest for an offence under Section 58a must be able to demonstrate a reasonable suspicion that the information was of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

It should ordinarily be considered inappropriate to use Section 58a to arrest people photographing police officers in the course of normal policing activities, including protests, as without more, there is no link to terrorism.

There is however nothing preventing officers asking questions of an individual who appears to be taking photographs of someone who is or has been a member of Her Majesty’s Forces (HMF), Intelligence Services or a constable. "
Section 58a of the Terrorism Act 2000

Straight from the trotters hoof:

http://www.met.police.uk/about/photography.htm

Bob

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What is he wearing

17.07.2009 05:01

What is Tash wearing? Red trousers, a jacket that's too small and a Russian army hat? What was he thinking?

Fashion Police

Met "advice"

17.07.2009 08:57

This is worth a look at - more on the Mets "advice" on photography in a public places from Marc Vallee in The Guardian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2009/jul/09/photography-anti-terrorism-regulations

I'm a photographer not a terrorist

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