Photographer detained in London for photographing army parade

<p>The <em>Independent</em> reports today that a <strong><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/officers-claim-they-dont-need-law-to-stop-photographer-taking-pictures-2012827.html">UK photographer was detained and allegedly assaulted by police</a></strong> on Saturday after photographing a military parade involving army cadets. The incident happened just one day after two <strong><a href="http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/1719464/photographers-win-damages-met-police-legal">UK journalists won their case against the (London) Metropolitan Police</a></strong> for a similar incident and were awarded £3,500 ($5,300) each in compensation.<br>

<br /> The police in Saturday's incident incorrectly stated that they "don't have to have a law" in order to prevent the photographer from taking photos, and at one point took the photographer's camera. They later used a terrorism law to detain the photographer and, while doing so, allegedly pushed him down some stairs. A senior police officer was present during the incident.</p>

<p>It's unfortunate that the compensation awarded by the court to the two journalists in the earlier incident was not higher. I think some large compensation payments might persuade police upper management in the UK to send a message down to officers on the beat not to overstep their authority when dealing with photographers.</p>

<p>It's only going to get worse…it's plain stupidity, doing something like this the day after the consequence of a previous similar action was shown.</p>

<p>Hope this photog wins in the end. This needs to stop…before I fly to London in 3 weeks.</p>

<p>It will not stop and it will get a lot worse yet , its not just terrorism paranoia but also pedophile paranoia .<br>

There are many public events that I will no longer photograph because of this and I have had people call me a pedophile just because I take a photo of a child or I have been told not to take a photo of a child because they don't want a pedophile to get the photo . I have also been refused entry into some events just because I carry a big camera (medium format) but it seems to be ok to take a camera phone that no one will see you use .<br>

If I was the photographer in question in this thread I would be taking them police for every thing I could get</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I've written to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to register my disapproval of what happened. In case anyone else wishes to do so, his name is Sir Paul Stephenson and his address is on <strong><a href="http://www.met.police.uk/contacts/">this page</a></strong> (the New Scotland Yard address). I also copied my letter to the Prime Minister, David Cameron, whose address (10, Downing Street) is on <strong><a href="http://www.number10.gov.uk/footer/contact-us">this page</a></strong>. The UK's new coalition government has publicly <strong><a href="http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/regulation/2010/05/13/cameron-and-clegg-to-renew-eroded-civil-liberties-40088919/">stated its support for renewing civil liberties</a></strong> that have been eroded in recent years (under the Labour government and, I would argue, under the previous Conservative government too). Let's find out if they are serious about it.</p>

<p>The British Journal of Photography covered that incident and include a recording too.<br>

The thing to note here is that the person being harrased by police for taking photos is a minor and the police harrasing a minor for taking photos clearly had no understanding of the law and had either not been trained or took no notice of the training they had been given.<br>

<a href="http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/1719526/photojournalist-detained-army-cadet-pics">http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/1719526/photojournalist-detained-army-cadet-pics</a></p>

 

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<p>This needs to stop…before I fly to London in 3 weeks.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'm sure you will be o.k.</p>

<p>The compensation highlighted above as so small that I would consider taking an action against the police officer. If everyone sues the police force then as long as the force bluster their way through it, the officers can have the defence 'my boss told me to say that' and they will not change. Taking a personal action will (a) make them think twice and (b) make them state in public that that is the message coming from above. Then people can start suing the police force forr wilfull contravention of the Human Rights legislation.</p>

<p>It's disgusting. The country is a shambles. What's worse is there are much better things the police SHOULD be doing. I'm going home (to the UK) in August and the whole thing is a painful overly expensive ordeal, just to visit my parents.</p>

<p>I was amused by the suggestion in the comments bit at the bottom of the BJP article that moving to 'sunny South Africa' would be a good move. I was wondering whether this was meant to be ironic but I don't think it was. </p>

<p>Seriously these incidents are fortunately not frequent and most UK police are a lot more sensible and restrained than the heavy-handed bunch in this incident. Hugh, Paul, .....like Steve says 'I am sure you will be OK'. Our new government seems to be taking a more 'civil liberties' approach and this will filter down. And although I expect we may see a few more of these incidents at intervals the fact that they get reported in the papers shows they are mercifully rare.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Compare this incident with the curious case of the <a href="../street-documentary-photography-forum/00WXbQ">Motorcyclist Charged with Videoing Cop</a> and the hapless Southern Marylander arrested for "<a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:59ii30yEHTwJ:www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx%3Fstoryid%3D102616%26catid%3D187+Motorcyclist+charged+with+videoing+cop+ACLU&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us">holding a cell phone in a manner suggesting she was recording</a>" an officer's activity. The American Civil Liberty Union has initiated a suit in defense of the Motorcyclist, but there definitely seems to be a trend toward shielding police actions. Maryland is probably out in front on this particular trend due to its quirky law regarding recording consversations. Back in April, however, a videographer caught <a href="http://www.sott.net/articles/show/206746-Video-catches-Maryland-police-beating-unarmed-student-unprovoked">Maryland police beating an unarmed student</a> apparently without provocation. The student was charged with "suspicion of assaulting officers on horseback and their mounts". The charges were dropped after the video was widely diseminated by the Washington Post and other mainstream media.<br>

Mike S</p>

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<p>Seriously these incidents are fortunately not frequent and most UK police are a lot more sensible and restrained than the heavy-handed bunch in this incident.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Unfortunately they're very frequent. In fact, something similar just happened again to the same photographer, see the BJP report on the <a href="http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/1721000/young-photographer-detained-section-terrorism-act">second incident here</a>.</p>

<p>And here's another one <a href="http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/1721421/british-transport-police-admit-unlawful-action-photographer">that was reported by BJP today. </a></p>