Please see the following attached photograph, which is of Police Photographer SCD43, who has now been identified as Neil Sinclair and is apparently quite infamous.
His manic behaviour at the Disarm DSEI Demonstrations at Custom House and the EXCEL Centre were noted in an article that I wrote with the title ‘SCD43 – Brute of the Day at DSEI Demonstration 11/09/2007’. This Police Photographer, with a second Police Photographer, was seen again at the Dorchester Hotel Demonstrations on the 13/09/2007. Once again, he behaved in the same manner. The rest of the police officers and the other photographer seemed aware that unlike the11/09/2007 Demonstrations, they were now consistently in the public eye. The appalling and vulgar behaviour that they displayed would not go un-noticed at this particular protest. However, this Police Photographer seemed to have been ignorant to this aspect.
Before he arrived, the atmosphere was tense, no doubt. The direct and indirect tactics used by the police to compromise the Demonstration did result in Protesters being frustrated. I have noted these tactics in an article above with the title ‘Police Disruption at the DSEI Demonstration 13/09/2077 - The Ones That Made It In’. However, from the time that this Police Photographer arrived, the level of tension amongst both Protesters and Police Officers increased rapidly. His behavior patterns are that of a crazed person. He continually violated personal space with his media equipment, flashing lights everywhere and marching up and down the Protest Area. He could be seen repeatedly filming people for one to two minutes at a given time. I took note again of the look of hatred in his eyes. If the Protest Area was not so narrow, I’m pretty certain that he would of done his best to enter it, as he did at the 11/09/2007 Demonstrations.
As the level of tension increased from the time he arrived, so did the negative and physical interaction between the Protesters and the Police. After about 20 minutes, I noticed that a high ranking police officer, with a clip board, came to the front of the protest area. He individually spoke to several police officers. One of these police officers then went up to this Police Photographer and spoke to him. Both of the Police Photographers then packed up their media equipment and left. It is unclear what was said during the dialogue, but the tension began to decrease afterwards.
I feel that this Police Photographer blatantly instigates aggression levels and as a result manages to capture the worse case scenario on his media equipment. Whether he does this intentionally or not is unclear, the important aspect is the results that he achieves. The kind of evidence that he gathers can easily compromise the positive intentions of Protest Action, by negatively distorting the image received by Politicians and the Public. This is not the last time we are going to see this Police Photographer at Protest Events and a consolidated approach needs to be taken whenever he is present. The positive image of what Protest Action aims to achieve is of utmost importance.
I will be including the details mentioned in this article in the complaint about him that I mentioned in the articles titled ‘SCD43 – Brute of the Day at DSEI Demonstration 11/09/2007’ and ‘PC1545 - Issuer of Falsified Search Docket at DSEI Demonstration 11/09/2007’. This complaint will be sent to the New Scotland Yard Complaints Department and the IPCC. The details in this article will be part of a report that I am completing and sending to Ken Livingstone (see ‘Police Victimisation at the DSEI Demonstration 11/09/2077’ above)
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