LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 30.12.08. Palestinian protesters demonstrate outside the Israeli Embassy, London, England on Tuesday 30th December 2008. Demonstrators congregated at the Israeli embassy in west London for the third day running to protest against Israeli air-strikes on the Gaza Strip which have killed hundreds including women and children. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

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Images: “Gaza Protest -30.12.08″

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 29.12.08. A young Palestinian man holds up a placard at the gates of the Israeli Embassy, London, England on Monday 29th December 2008. Demonstrators congregated at the Israeli embassy in west London for the second day running to protest against Israeli air-strikes on the Gaza Strip which have killed hundreds including women and children. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

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Images: “Gaza Protest -29.12.08″

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 29.12.08. Smoke from a firework thrown at police fills the air as Palestinian protesters demonstrate outside the Israeli Embassy, London, England on Monday 29th December 2008. Demonstrators congregated at the Israeli embassy in west London for the second day running to protest against Israeli air-strikes on the Gaza Strip which have killed hundreds including women and children. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 20.12.08. A boy holds a sign with the words “Shoot me – I’m the future” on it as Greek, Turkish, Kurdish and British activists demonstrate against ‘Police Brutality and State Terrorism’ in Wood Green north London, England on Saturday 20th December 2008. The protest was in solidarity was protests in Greece after two Greek police officers killed a 15-year-old boy, Andreas Grigoropoulos, which has set off a wave of protests and general strikes across Greece. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

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Images: “Greek Solidarity Protest – 20.12.08″.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 19.12.08. Protesters congregate outside the American Embassy in support of the Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi in London, England on Friday 19th December 2008. The media and anti-war campaign group, Media Workers against the War and the Stop the War Coalition, held a joint protest to call for the release of Muntadar al-Zaidi who threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush on an official visit to Iraq. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

“Iraqi shoe thrower badly beaten in custody, claims brother” – The Guardian.

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Images: “Muntadar al-Zaidi Shoe Protest – 19.12.08″

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 19.12.08. The media document protesters outside the American Embassy in support of the Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi in London, England on Friday 19th December 2008. The media and anti-war campaign group, Media Workers against the War and the Stop the War Coalition, held a joint protest to call for the release of Muntadar al-Zaidi who threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush on an official visit to Iraq. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 14.12.08. A young man is held down by police and arrested as Greek and British protesters demonstrate against police repression in Greece and Britain in east London, England on Sunday 14th December 2008. The protesters congregated outside an east London train station with anti-police banners. Large numbers of police moved in and surrounded the protesters and an unclear number of arrests were made. The protest was part of a European wide campaign of action after Greek police killed a 15-year-old boy, Andreas Grigoropoulos, which has set off a wave of violent protests across Greece and Europe. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

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Images: “Anti-Police Repression/Greek Protest – 14.12.08.”

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 05.07.08. A Metropolitan Police Inspector grabs hold of a working journalists as police clash with a group of anti-G8 activists in Croydon, south London, England on Saturday 5th July 2008. Protesters congregated to protest against the UK Border Agency in Croydon as part of a world wide day of action against the G8 Summit in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

“Home Office clarifies street photography bans” - British Journal of Photography.

Vernon Coaker, the Minister for Security, Counter-terrorism, Crime and Policing in a letter to Jeremy Dear, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists dated 03 December 2008 has confirmed that photography can be “limited” in public places in “special circumstances”:

‘This may be on the grounds of national security or there may be situations in which the taking of photographs may cause or lead to public order situations or inflame an already tense situation or raise security considerations. Additionally, the police may require a person to move on in order to prevent a breach of the peace or to avoid a public order situation or for the person’s own safety and welfare or for the safety and welfare of others’.

Did Vernon Coaker just make me redundant? More on this over the next few days.

TEARSHEET: Jess Hurd’s center page pictures in The Guardian on Saturday 13 December 2008.  Later on she was detained under the Terrorism Act.  Published here by kind permission of Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk. (c) Jess Hurd, 2008.

“Terrorism Act cited over wedding photos” - pressgazette.co.uk

“Photographer mulls legal action” -  AP

“UPDATE: Audio of altercation between police officers and press photographer emerges” – British Journal of Photography

“Press photographer detained under Terrorism Act” -British Journal of Photography.

“Photographer at wedding accused of taking pictures for terrorists”- National Union of Journalists.

“Traveller wedding belles go to town – in the shadow of mass eviction” – The Guardian.

Audio: Jess Hurd – Stop and Search – S44  Terrorism Act.

My good friend and colleague Jess Hurd (who over the weekend attended the European Federation of Journalists event “Photojournalists: An endangered species in Europe?” in Paris) was stopped and searched last week on UN Human Rights Day under the S44 of the Terrorism Act by police.  The officers “forcibly took” her camera which under S44 there do not have the power to do so.

Click here to  listen to an audio file of the stop and  search and below is the full statement from National Union of Journalists (NUJ).

NUJ Statement:

“A photographer documenting the persecution of Irish travellers in the UK was herself subjected to police intimidation…on UN Human Rights Day.

“The NUJ has condemned the abuse of the police’s stop and search powers after they forcibly took photographer Jess Hurd’s camera from her and detained her for 45 minutes under S44 of the Terrorism Act whilst she was covering a traveller wedding in London Docklands, part of a long term documentary project on the persecution of travellers.

“Whilst clearly photographing a wedding, the pictures of which appeared in Saturday’s Guardian newspaper, Jess was detained under s44 on the grounds she could be carrying out hostile reconnaissance for a terrorist assault.”

NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear said: “This is yet another absurd misuse of the s44 powers which are designed to allow the police to detain those actively involved in carrying out a terrorist activity not to stop press photographers carrying out their legitimate business.

“Despite the government’s warm words about the right to photograph in public and new Home Office guidelines it appears the routine abuse of these powers goes on.

“How ironic that those documenting persecution and intimidation on UN Human Rights Day should be subject to such abuse and intimidation”.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM. Irish travellers Nora Quilligan and Danny Sheridan from Dale Farm celebrate their wedding day.  This was the third of four weddings held in quick succession by families at Dale Farm anxious to solemnize marriages before the New Year when Court of Appeal judges may rule that Basildon council can put into action its much delayed eviction operation.  Published here by kind permission of Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk. (c) Jess Hurd, 2008.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 08.12.08. Greek and British protesters blockade the Greek Embassy in London, England on Monday 8th December 2008. The protesters took down the Greek flag from a pole in front of the embassy and set fire to it and raised a red and black anarchist flag in its place. The protest was part of a European wide day of action after two Greek police officers were arrested for killing a 15-year-old boy, Andreas Grigoropoulos, which has set off a wave of violent protests across Greece. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

“Are the Greek riots a taste of things to come?” – The Independent.

Images: “Greek Embassy Protest- 08.12.08.”

I took the image above and the two images below before the police removed the media from outside the Greek embassy in Holland Park west London on Monday (08.12.08).  The last two images at the bottom of this post were taken behind the police lines after we were removed.   One wonders which images the police and for that matter the  Greek embassy prefer?  I can tell you the two international media groups that paid me for my labour that day went for the images I took before we were removed.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 08.12.08. Greek and British protesters blockade the Greek Embassy in London, England on Monday 8th December 2008. The protesters took down the Greek flag from a pole in front of the embassy and set fire to it and raised a red and black anarchist flag in its place. The protest was part of a European wide day of action after two Greek police officers were arrested for killing a 15-year-old boy, Andreas Grigoropoulos, which has set off a wave of violent protests across Greece. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 08.12.08. Greek and British protesters blockade the Greek Embassy in London, England on Monday 8th December 2008. The protesters took down the Greek flag from a pole in front of the embassy and set fire to it and raised a red and black anarchist flag in its place. The protest was part of a European wide day of action after two Greek police officers were arrested for killing a 15-year-old boy, Andreas Grigoropoulos, which has set off a wave of violent protests across Greece. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

And after police removed the media from outside and away from the Greek embassy:

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 08.12.08. Metropolitan Police Inspector David Morgan speaks to waiting media as Greek and British protesters blockade the Greek Embassy in London, England on Monday 8th December 2008. The protesters took down the Greek flag from a pole in front of the embassy and set fire to it and raised a red and black anarchist flag in its place. The protest was part of a European wide day of action after two Greek police officers were arrested for killing a 15-year-old boy, Andreas Grigoropoulos, which has set off a wave of violent protests across Greece. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 08.12.08. A young male protester speaks to a broadcast crew as Greek and British protesters blockade the Greek Embassy in London, England on Monday 8th December 2008. The protesters took down the Greek flag from a pole in front of the embassy and set fire to it and raised a red and black anarchist flag in its place. The protest was part of a European wide day of action after two Greek police officers were arrested for killing a 15-year-old boy, Andreas Grigoropoulos, which has set off a wave of violent protests across Greece. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

“Police to investigate Greek embassy incident” - National Union of Journalists.

“Met Police will investigate officer who grabbed photographic equipment at Greek Embassy Protests” - journalism.co.uk

“Met Police investigating incident with photographer” - British Journal of Photography.

As you can see  from the links above and the statement below the police have said they are going to investigate the Greek embassy “incident”.

Metropolitan Police statement:

“The officer featured in this clip will be investigated regarding his conduct with a member of the media. There are clear service guidelines that all officers are expected to adhere to that protects the rights of media.”

“The Metropolitan Police Service seeks to protect the interests and rights of media to do their job, through educating all our staff within the Service. Before every operation all our staff are briefed as to the role of the media and wherever operationally possible to facilitate them. This was a spontaneous demonstration that at points included outbreaks of disorder, which required an emergency response from police.”

Source: Press Gazette.

“Video: Police obstruct journalists at Greek embassy” – pressgazette.co.uk

“New video evidence: photographers obstructed in reportage of Greek Embassy protests” – journalism.co.uk

“Heavy-handed policing against photographers caught on video” – 1854.eu

“Heavy-handed policing against photographers caught on video” - British Journal of Photography.

“Police Obstruction of Journalists at London Greek Embassy Protest” – Current TV.

Yesterday the National Union of Journalists (NUJ)  criticised the Metropolitan Police for their handling of the media – Jason N.Parkinson and I – at a protest outside the Greek embassy in London earlier this week.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 08.12.08. A police officer attempts to stop the media reporting on a blockade of the Greek Embassy by Greek and British anarchists in London, England on Monday 8th December 2008. The protesters took down the Greek flag from a pole in front of the embassy and set fire to it and raised a red and black anarchist flag in its place. The protest was part of a European wide day of action after two Greek police officers were arrested for killing a 15-year-old boy, Andreas Grigoropoulos, which has set off a wave of violent protests across Greece. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.