“VIDEOS: Photographers learning their legal rights” – National Union of Journalists.

“Photo-Forum – Know Your Rights Special” – photo-forum.org

“Union offers legal helpline for G20 journalists” – National Union of Journalists.

On Thursday 26 February, following the highly successful media event, “I’m a Photographer … not a Terrorist”, outside New Scotland Yard, NUJ members organised a meeting on photography and the law.

The meeting, hosted by Photo-Forum was chaired by Jess Hurd. The evening was introduced by photographer, Peter Macdiarmid, with solicitor, Anna Mazzola, from Hickman and Rose and photographer, Andrew Wiard speaking.

You can view two films (funded by the NUJ) of the meeting (above and below) which my friend and colleague, Jason N.Parkinson, was commissioned to make.

Plus click here for info on legal support if you are an NUJ journalist covering the G20 protests over the next few days.

BEDFORD, UNITED KINGDOM – 21.03.09. Anti-immigration detention centre activists march from Bedford Town centre to Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre on Saturday 21 March 2009 in Bedfordshire, England. The protest called for an end to “indefinite” detention of women, men and children. Campaign groups said that, “25,000 people – including 2,000 children – accused of no crime, are detained indefinitely each year at great human cost and great expense to tax-payers.” (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

Link : Click here to view more images.

Clients : Images are available for rights managed editorial licensing. High resolution images are available on request.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 05.03.09. Professor Chris Knight (right) joins environmental activists outside the Royal Bank Scotland in the City of London on Wednesday 5 March 2009. A coalition of environmental groups accused RBS of helping to provide an estimated $16bn (£8bn) to E.ON and other companies utilising coal over the past two years, with HSBC providing $10bn and Barclays $5.79bn. The protest was joined by anti-capitalists activists promoting protests against the G20 meeting in London on the 1 April. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

Link : Click here to view more images.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 05.03.09. Environmental activists congregate outside the Royal Bank Scotland in the City of London on Wednesday 5 March 2009. A coalition of environmental groups accused RBS of helping to provide an estimated $16bn (£8bn) to E.ON and other companies utilising coal over the past two years, with HSBC providing $10bn and Barclays $5.79bn. The protest was joined by anti-capitalists activists promoting protests against the G20 meeting in London on the 1 April. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

Link : Click here to view more images.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 25.02.09. Students congregate in London to protest against fees on Wednesday 25 February 2009. Students marched from University College London to King’s College London to demanded free education and living grants for all and opposition to university vice-chancellors’ calls for an increase in tuition fees and to continuing cuts and privatisation on university campuses. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

Link : Click here to view more images.

Link.

“Police told to respect the rights of journalists at protests” – National Union of Journalists.

Here is a link to a statement from the National Union of Journalists in response to the report that was published by The Joint Select Committee on Human Rights this week. The report criticised police treatment of journalists (especially photojournalists) who cover protests.

Plus here is what the media press had to say about it.

“MPs: Police obstruction of journalists is unacceptable” – Press Gazette.

“Parliamentary committee calls for police training in role of protest journalists” – blogs.journalism.co.uk

“Parliament berates police over treatment of press” – British Journal of Photography.

Report (PDF).

“Police accused of misusing terror laws against peaceful protests” – The Guardian.

“Police ‘heavy-handed at protests’” – BBC News.

The Joint Select Committee on Human Rights has criticised the police today in it’s report, “Demonstrating respect for rights? A human rights approach to policing protest”, of police treatment of journalists (especially photojournalists) when covering demonstrations.

The report says,

“It is unacceptable that individual journalists are left with no option but to take court action against officers who unlawfully interfere with their work. Journalists have the right to carry out their lawful business and report the way in which demonstrations are handled by the police without state interference, unless such interference is necessary and proportionate, and journalists need to be confident that they can carry out their role. The public in turn have the right to impart and receive information: the media are the eyes and ears of the public, helping to ensure that the police are accountable to the people they serve. Effective training of front line police officers on the role of journalists in protests is vital. Police forces should consider how to ensure their officers follow the media guidelines which have been agreed between ACPO and the NUJ, and take steps to deal with officers who do not follow them.”

Good stuff but, “unless such interference is necessary and proportionate”, I have to say this part of the conclusion worries me for all the obvious reasons.

My understanding is that the National Union of Journalists will issue a statement later today on the report. One thing I will say is this, how the police treat journalists/photographers covering the G20 protests next week will be something I’m sure many of us will be watching and if need be report on in full.

Evidence (PDF).

Anti-Scientology Protest – (10.02.08), London, 2008.

One issue, three protests. Here are three Anti-Scientology Protest slideshows from last year. All images are available for rights managed editorial licensing plus printsales. Feel free to contact us for more info. Enjoy!

Anti-Scientology Protest – (10.05.08), London, 2008.

Anti-Scientology Protest – (14.06.08), London, 2008.

A Metropolitan Police Special Branch file reporting to MI5 on photographer Lee Miller.  Published here by kind permission of The National Archives.

“Glamorous socialites were spied on by MI5″ – The Guardian.

“British spies kept tabs on photographer Lee Miller” – International Herald Tribune.

“The Lee Miller file” – Today Programme, BBC Radio 4.

Over the last few days I have been reading Lee Miller’s security file and without doubt it is fascinating stuff. You can download the full file here from The National Archives for free.

After working on an investigation about police surveillance for The Guardian, which included surveillance of photographers, I wonder how many years it will take the people in our investigation to get to see their own files?

Kent police said this week that it was wrong of them to film journalists working and the National Union of Journalists said it would like all the files of journalists destroyed.

Publication: Lead story of The Guardian, 7 March 2009, plus pages 14 and 15.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.06.08. A police photographer, in full riot gear films and photographs protesters, during a demonstration against George W Bush during the U.S President’s visit to London on Sunday 15 June 2008, London, England.  Protesters had been “banned” by the police from demonstrating outside 10 Downing Street to protest against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

“Revealed: police databank on thousands of protesters” – The Guardian.

“Caught on film and stored on database: how police keep tabs on activists” – The Guardian.

“Under surveillance: police target environmental protesters and journalists” – The Guardian.

“Police surveillance: ‘They’re focusing on the press more than the protesters’” – The Guardian.

For the last 3 months I have been working on an investigation about police surveillance of journalists and protesters for The Guardian with Paul Lewis.  Click on the links above to see what we found out.