War on Photography - UK Front

[Bob Hubbard]

In the name of security, safety, and anti-terrorism, police wage a war against the evils of the camera. Everyone knows that an enemy spy, who must remain inconspicuous, avoid confrontation, and move undetected, is going to travel carrying a full bag of expensive professional gear while scouting out future targets for his madness. These brave police and other agents of government fight a never ending battle to keep anyone other than Google, the local chamber of commerce and tourism, and a buildings own website from capturing a professional looking image.

This is the story of the British front.
Damn those cameras, remember, mega pixels equal megadeth!
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Photographer wins £5K damages from police

by holdthefrontpage staff

A press photographer arrested at the scene of a car crash over three years ago has been awarded more than £5,000 in damages from Thames Valley Police.
Andrew Handley, who has been with the MK News for 14 years, was taking shots from behind a police cordon at what he called "an ordinary car crash" in September 2006 in the Stony Stratford area of Milton Keynes.
A sergeant demanded he handed over the pictures and camera but Andrew tried to inform the officer he was entitled to take photos from behind the cordon.
He was arrested, handcuffed, cautioned and detained for eight hours at Milton Keynes Police Station where his fingerprints and DNA were taken.
Both the law and guidelines from the Association of Chief Police Officers make it clear the police officers are not allowed to restrict or prevent the press from taking photographs.

UK continues royal crackdown against photographers

The crackdown against photographers in the United Kingdom reached royal levels last week when police confiscated dozen of cameras from people trying to photograph the queen and her family as they walked down a public street.

It was the first time in decades this occurred.
Norfolk police later admitted it was a misunderstanding, claiming the royal family had nothing to do with the confiscation of cameras.

However, the incident occurred just weeks after Queen Elizabeth warned newspapers against photographing members of the royal family, stating they have the “right to privacy” when they are going about their “private lives” – in full view of the public.

1. UK photographers kiss their freedoms good-bye
2. U.K.’s Anti-Terrorism Act is nothing but an anti-photographer act
3. United Kingdom enacted a new law that turned all photographers into suspected terrorists, prompting photographers to organize a protest.

The insanity in the UK just gets worse

December 18th, 2009 ·

By Carlos Miller
On the bright side, the mainstream media in the United Kingdom seems to be making a determined effort to expose the insanity and paranoia behind Section 44 of the Terrorism Act, which is the UK’s version of the Patriot Act, meaning it gives police blanket powers to harass and intimidate photographers.
But on the [...]
[Read more →]

Tags: United Kingdom

Italian student arrested in UK for filming buildings

December 16th, 2009 ·

By Carlos Miller
The problem is, there doesn’t seem to be any IQ requirements to become a police officer.
Everyday we read stories at how police officers believe photographers are out to commit terrorist acts because they happen to be taking pictures of something or another. These officers are under the impression that the bigger the lens, [...]
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Tags: United Kingdom

Some UK police did not get last week’s memo

December 9th, 2009 · http://carlosmiller.com/2009/12/09/some-uk-police-did-not-get-last-weeks-memo/#comments

By Carlos Miller
It took police in the United Kingdom just three days to go back on their word.
Last Friday, the Association of Chief Police Officers sent out a memo warning officers to stop harassing photographers under the guise of anti-terrorism laws.
On Monday, London police detained a photographer whom they say was taking pictures in a “hostile [...]
[Read more →]

Tags: United Kingdom

UK cops still having problems with suspected terrorists carrying cameras

December 2nd, 2009 · http://carlosmiller.com/2009/12/02/...spected-terrorists-carrying-cameras/#comments

The face of a suspected terrorist (Daily Mail)
By Carlos Miller
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, which can only mean one thing. Terrorists are out to kill us.
No, I’m not talking about the usual suspects who wage War on Christmas by wishing everybody Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas.
I’m talking about those brazen terrorists [...]
[Read more →]

Tags: United Kingdom

BBC photographer shocked that he was harassed for taking photos

December 1st, 2009 · http://carlosmiller.com/2009/12/01/...t-he-was-harassed-for-taking-photos/#comments

This is the picture that BBC photographer Jeff Overs was taking when he was suspected of being a terrorist.
By Carlos Miller
It’s been almost a year since the United Kingdom enacted a law that turned photographers into terrorists but it is only now that the British mainstream media is making an issue about it.
And that is [...]
[Read more →]

Tags: United Kingdom

British cops caught on camera punching and torturing innocent soldier

October 30th, 2009 · http://carlosmiller.com/2009/10/30/...hing-and-torturing-innocent-soldier/#comments

Update: After further research, this incident actually took place in July 2008. It is now resurfacing in the news because the cops just pleaded not guilty. They will go on trial next year.
By Carlos Miller
Three British police officers in Manchester wrongly detained a man they thought was harassing paramedics, tackling him where one of [...]
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Tags: United Kingdom

UK police threaten to arrest photography for “breach of peace”

October 29th, 2009 · http://carlosmiller.com/2009/10/29/...est-photography-for-breach-of-peace/#comments

Garry Chinchen was threatened with arrest for taking the above photograph
By Carlos Miller
As bad as it gets in the United States, it always seems worse in the United Kingdom when it comes to getting harassed for taking photos in public.
The latest incident comes to us from Wales where a photographer named Garry Chinchen was taking photos of [...]
[Read more →]

Tags: United Kingdom

UK cops continue crackdown on photographers

August 27th, 2009 · http://carlosmiller.com/2009/08/27/uk-cops-continue-crackdown-on-photographers/#comments

By Carlos Miller
The madness continues in the United Kingdom with police using newly enacted terrorism laws to harass, intimidate, stalk and arrest photographers.
The most recent incident comes to us via War on Photography when a British family was on vacation in Wales; A man, his sister and his two kids.
The man’s name is Stephen White [...]
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Tags: United Kingdom

Amateur UK photographer arrested for “prevention of terrorism”

July 13th, 2009 · http://carlosmiller.com/2009/07/13/...rrested-for-prevention-of-terrorism/#comments

Photo by Alex Turner
By Carlos Miller
Another photographer was arrested under the United Kingdom’s new anti-terrorism law that has turned the simple act of photography into a lethal form of terrorism. At least that is what they’ll have you think.
This time it was Alex Turner, an amateur photographer who drew the attention of authorities after snapping [...]
[Read more →]

Tags: United Kingdom

British police arrest women for asking for their badge numbers

June 23rd, 2009 · http://carlosmiller.com/2009/06/23/...-for-asking-for-their-badge-numbers/#comments

By Carlos Miller
Two British women were jailed for four days after photographing police and asking for their badge numbers.
They were charged with obstructing a police officer but those charges were later dropped. Now the arresting officers are under investigation.
The irony is that police were recording the entire incident themselves. And now it may come back [...]
[Read more →]

Tags: United Kingdom

UK judges drops “public harassment” case against Greek photographer

May 18th, 2009 · http://carlosmiller.com/2009/05/18/...ent-case-against-greek-photographer/#comments

By Carlos Miller
Greek photographer Pericles Antoniou was visiting London with his family last month when he photographed a little girl on a subway train.
The girl’s mother immediately protested, so Antoniou apologized and showed the mother the images he took before deleting them.
But a man claiming to be the girl’s father followed him out of the [...]
[Read more →]



All comments pulled from Carlos Miller's Photography is Not a Crime blog. Mr. Miller has been involved in a long standing dispute with the Miami-Dade police over his own photographic work, and has recently won his case against them. Most links will lead to his own blogs, which contain numerous links to other media sources to allow the reader a less biased view than if they only read the Miller blog. I strongly suggest reading all links and researching on your own.

 

[Tez3]

Sounds like the law profession is doing well though.

The story from Wales should be seen as just being Welsh as they have their own government, laws etc.

For every story of police harrassment though have you noticed there's an opposite story often backed by the courts so while things may seem bad there are checks against it. If it were that bad you wouldn't hear any of these allegations would you? Police are charged and taken to court when they have behaved wrongly, there's no whitewashing.

I think many too don't understand the siege mentality of the police in London, they have been targetted by bombers and terrosts since 1969, a long time to have to face the dangers. People are thinking only of the recent Muslim terror but London has been targeted before and there's been many been left dead in London alone. Over forty attacks since 1970.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in_London


http://www.christopherlong.co.uk/pri/hydebomb.html


I daresay police are overdoing it but it seems the courts have it in hand and it will sort itself out, the photographers I'm sure will keep it in the spotlight.

 

[Hollywood1340]

I'm amazed the people who DON'T UNDERSTAND freedoms we take for granted here simply don't exist in the UK. A sad nanny state.

 

[Tez3]

I'm amazed the people who DON'T UNDERSTAND freedoms we take for granted here simply don't exist in the UK. A sad nanny state.

Really? How strange we were just thinking how it's odd you don't have the freedoms we have. Like the freedom to have a decent education and not post up ignorant insults on forums.

 

[Hollywood1340]

Tez,
My comment stands and my education was just fine thank you. My comments steams from the way freedom is set up at a government level on both our countries. Not looking for a debate nor an insult. And there are things on both side of the pond we simply take for granted.

 

[jks9199]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let's stay on topic and avoid the insults, OK? What do you think about police restrictions on photographers? What's reasonable? What's not? What's LEGAL?

 

[Archangel M]

If I catch some guy taking photos of the underside of a bridge or Airport flight activity I'm checking him out whether some blogger or (forgive me Bob) internet posters like it or not.

If I just drive by and then the unthinkable happens, then I'm the one who has to live with the lives on my shoulders. Then will come the second guessing, and the why I didn't "do something" accusations by the exact same people who would crucify me for "trampling photographers rights".

That's a separate issue from seeing terrorism behind everything. Like some guy taking pictures of Choo-choo trains being taken down at gunpoint, having his property taken and photos deleted by cops who don't know how to use common sense. But there is more to this than Mr. Miller likes to admit.

 

[Tez3]

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/pdf/ukpga_20060011_en.pdf

http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/n...on-search/control-order-statements/index.html

http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/circulars/index.html



If anyone is arrested by or has something confiscated by the police here they have the right to take it to court. If the court judgement isn't to their liking they can go to the House of Lords then on to the European Courts and then the Court of Human Rights.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

This thread's intent is to focus on the UK issues, where the laws are different and the rights are different than in the US.

Personally, I'm all for police enforcing the laws, keeping their eyes open, and checking out the suspicious stuff. But, and there's always a but, I would expect them to -know- the laws, and not just make stuff up as they go. Regardless of nation.

 

[Tez3]

The thing is, if they are making things up as they go along they are being slapped down for it. If they are exceeding their authority they aren't exactly getting away with it. One photographer being better off by five grand proves that. It shows that we do have the freedom to protest and to take such things to court.
I think it's important too to keep a sense of proportion, millions of us here plus hundreds of thousands of tourists take photos in this country and only a handful of photographers allege they are being harrassed. In most cases it seems that these are being sorted out with complaints against the police being made and investigated.

There's a couple of cases in the instances cited in the OP that aren't about photographers, the case of the women asking for police numbers and the police officers accused ( charged and sent to trial btw) aren't issues with cameras. The women were on a violent protest where they and others were resisting arrest for assault and the police accused of violence were caught on CCTV so surely people aren't complaining about the CCTV?

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I believe that we had a long discussion here on that one (women and badges issue) when it was initially reported. Obviously I've got no issue with idiots harassing the cops being taken to task.

 

[Tez3]

I believe that we had a long discussion here on that one (women and badges issue) when it was initially reported. Obviously I've got no issue with idiots harassing the cops being taken to task.

I don't know if you've had the 'pleasure' of the summit protestors yet in America? they've been over most of Europe whenever the heads of state meet leaving an expensive trail of destruction behind them.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Yep. Anyone with a camera caught near them is hauled off, beaten and tear gassed if you believe the blogs.

 

[Tez3]

Yep. Anyone with a camera caught near them is hauled off, beaten and tear gassed if you believe the blogs.

Nothing wrong with a drop of tear gas, I have a dose every year just to keep my spirits up!

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Might be if all you were trying to do was nip down to the pub for a pint and decided to take a quick shot of things to show the misses. 3 days later you show up home, red eyed and have the devil of a time trying to explain that you're not hung over and the reason you're walking funny is from a BCS not a wild night.

 

[Tez3]

Might be if all you were trying to do was nip down to the pub for a pint and decided to take a quick shot of things to show the misses. 3 days later you show up home, red eyed and have the devil of a time trying to explain that you're not hung over and the reason you're walking funny is from a BCS not a wild night.

Or if you'd been on a demo and were trying to kill the marshals, stewards and special constables ( unpaid volunteer police officers) who were trying to keep a peaceful march peaceful.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Question:
British traffic cop has pulled someone over. May I take their picture?

Question:
The Queen is taking her daily constitutional walk. May I take her picture?

Question:
I see a cute kid on a swingset at the park. May I take their picture?

Question:
I see a nice building. May I take it's picture?
If it turns out to be an unmarked government building, might I expect to be detained, questioned, searched, my camera taken, my images deleted and my person possibly roughed up?
Should I expect that same treatment, even if the -exact- image is on Google Street View?

 

[Tez3]

IN the first three good manners would dictate you ask then if anyone says no please take it as a refusal. No one has a right to take photos of other people. The last if it's unmarked you may take a photo.
Not everyone wants their photo taken and why should they have to if they don't want to? Is there some law that says a photographer can invade my privacy while I'm minding my own business? what if I say no I don't want you to take my photo, will you take it anyway? If you take my photo while I'm in uniform yes I will warn you probably not arrest you though, just warn you off, I come under the Official Secrets Act and photographing me at work is illegal. If I'm not at work and I'm in civvies no you can't take my photo because I don't like having my photo taken, pure vanity, I never look good in photos and so I don't think my privacy should be invaded just because you think you can take a photo of anyone you like.

Under English law we have the right to be left alone. If the first three objected to having their photos taken you would most likely be taken to civil court for breach of privacy under human rights and European rights laws. You may find yourself taken to court (civil) for breaching the Data Protection Act too by taking photos of people who don't want them taken ( look up Micheal Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones) so I'd suggest always ask first.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Act_1998

 

[celtic_crippler]

I think it important to point out that "their" cameras are okay... as long as "they" are taking images of "you"...

"They" simply don't want "you" taking images of "them"... but it's okay if "they" take images of "you"...

Now...think about that.

 

[Tez3]

I think it important to point out that "their" cameras are okay... as long as "they" are taking images of "you"...

"They" simply don't want "you" taking images of "them"... but it's okay if "they" take images of "you"...

Now...think about that.

Actually no, you can sue anyone for taking photos of you, absolutely anyone.