Photographers rights protest video interview

[Ian]

In January 2010 I shot a handful of interviews in Trafalgar Square when hundreds of photographers lobbied Scotland Yard and then assembled at Trafalgar Square to protest at the attitude of police and security personnel to photographers. This is is one of them

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8ntiuPRr8U[/ame]

This was shot using a Pen E-P2 using a small Olympus shotgun microphone, if I remember correctly!

Ian

[Seonnaidh]

Re: Photographers rights protest video interview

Nice bit of video there Ian.
He seems like a nice chap.

[Ian]

Re: Photographers rights protest video interview

There is more!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tno6IlFIGeE[/ame]

Ian

[shug]

Re: Photographers rights protest video interview

great stuff Ian .
its disgraceful ,that in a so-called democratic country we cannot take photos where and when we like [within reason obviously ]
i have friends who are law abiding people who protest against injustice where they see it ... but in the last 13 years have been treated disgracefully by the police, and with the ramping up of political policing came violence also . and THAT's part of the problem we photographers face ..
if we photograph this police violence . we are then subject to damage /confiscation of gear and destruction of images ..
its bordering on a police state

[reggieb]

Re: Photographers rights protest video interview

Not just a problem in England, we have had a LOT of problems here in the states with this. Police will cite laws that have nothing to do with filming (usually it's while filming the police) to say you can't do it. A great example is the Maryland wiretapping law: http://reason.com/blog/2010/05/29/ma...ay-its-illegal.

It's a big problem all over the place.

[Zuiko]

Re: Photographers rights protest video interview

I get the impression things have improved in England over the last couple of years, even if only because the police are being shafted so hard by the Government that they have better things to do than persecute a few snappers.

Also, to be fair to the present Government, they do seem to have a more tolerant attitude towards street photography than the previous administration and this appears to have filtered down to the street.

[shug]

Re: Photographers rights protest video interview

I get the impression things have improved in England over the last couple of years, even if only because the police are being shafted so hard by the Government that they have better things to do than persecute a few snappers.

Also, to be fair to the present Government, they do seem to have a more tolerant attitude towards street photography than the previous administration and this appears to have filtered down to the street.

I think youve just been lucky Zuiko
not where I live they haven't.
if anything its worse ....
4 times in the last 3 weeks wandering about London , taking pics,
[tripod in hand ]. i was stopped and on one occasion [outside green park ] was told to move on.!!

now like i explain to every pair that pull me up .
''if i was a terrorist planing a hit.
surely i would probably use a camcorder for accuracy and quickness .
.not setting up a tripod in front of everyone and taking 15 mins to set up one shot ''

''to which one replied '' you do get stupid terrorists ..
so there was I totally puzzled at that reply .
& was giving my name once again for no criminal reason .

.i was tempted to add ''and you dont get stupid cops''?
but knew better ...

my point is , they are still as bad as they have been for the last 15 years
we have robots for cops .
who see everyone as a threat ...
that's a worrying trend ..

[shug]

Re: Photographers rights protest video interview

Not just a problem in England, we have had a LOT of problems here in the states with this. Police will cite laws that have nothing to do with filming (usually it's while filming the police) to say you can't do it. A great example is the Maryland wiretapping law: http://reason.com/blog/2010/05/29/ma...ay-its-illegal.

It's a big problem all over the place.

i had a theory explained to me by a friend from Baltimore ..
it went like this
the state [USA] is borderline fascism
and cops are worried any filming of them will be used against anyone in uniform if the state is found to be complicit in crimes against the community
..and see them in the dock come a future revolution

[Zuiko]

Re: Photographers rights protest video interview

I think youve just been lucky Zuiko
not where I live they haven't.
if anything its worse ....
4 times in the last 3 weeks wandering about London , taking pics,
[tripod in hand ]. i was stopped and on one occasion [outside green park ] was told to move on.!!

now like i explain to every pair that pull me up .
''if i was a terrorist planing a hit.
surely i would probably use a camcorder for accuracy and quickness .
.not setting up a tripod in front of everyone and taking 15 mins to set up one shot ''

''to which one replied '' you do get stupid terrorists ..
so there was I totally puzzled at that reply .
& was giving my name once again for no criminal reason .

.i was tempted to add ''and you dont get stupid cops''?
but knew better ...

my point is , they are still as bad as they have been for the last 15 years
we have robots for cops .
who see everyone as a threat ...
that's a worrying trend ..

You may well be right, Shug. I base my opinion on a limited few personal visits to London and a perception that there are less reported incidents in the press than there were. Of course, it may be that these type of incidents are no longer deemed to be newsworthy.

I was at the protest outside New Scotland Yard in February 2009 and am prepared to participate again should further protests be considered necessary.

[shug]

Re: Photographers rights protest video interview

yea , i know what you mean Ian .
its only bcos i live 15 mins from the city ,

as I am up the city constantly .

mibbe thats why they pull me up '''
OH ,HERE HE COMES AGAIN ''. lol

but Im really seeing it first hand .. i go to most demos also ..
but to be fair .had i not lived in London , and was back home in Scotland ,
i wonder if i would know of this at all ?

i have friends n family in Scotland , that when i tell them what ive seen down here ,
they dont have a clue it happened ,unless its a major event .
as when any news is put on air , we only get the national stories [the big events]
. but all local news is regional .
..so living in Glasgow ,they would get regional Glasgow news ..not London news ....
even when we're in London . if you live in west london .. you get west london news .. south londoners get south news ..etc ..
sure we get the big main headlines .but the rest is local ...

so the demo you and I went to ''not a terrorist demo ''' [your vids]
my people back home heard nothing of it on the news ..
the media are also very selective when it comes to stories concerning the cops ..