LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 30.08.09. A sign outside the entrance of the “Climate Camp” on Sunday 30 August 2009 in London, England. Environmental activists set up camp on Wednesday 26 August 2009 – in clear sight of London’s financial and corporate centre – to hold a week long protest to highlight climate change. (Photo by Marc Vallee/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.
“NUJ condemns alleged assaults on Climate Camp photographers” – John Plunkett, The Guardian.
“NUJ condemns assault on photographers at Climate Camp” – Martin Dominquez, Press Gazette.
“Apology sought after climate camper attacks journalists” – National Union of Journalists.
“Climate Camp: An Open Letter” – jwarren.co.uk
The Climate Camp has been urged by the National Union of Journalists to “unequivocally condemn” a man who assaulted Jonathan Warren and I covering the camp on Sunday – we are still waiting.
Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary, said: “In the past journalists have exposed heavy handed policing of climate protests. Demonstrators need to understand that photographers must do their job without showing bias.
“I join with Marc and Jonathan in calling for the climate camp organisers to condemn this attack.”
Will this assault by one person attending the camp impact on me covering the Climate Camp in the future? No is the short answer. Last year I was assaulted by the police covering the Climate Camp at Kingsnorth and that did not stop me working on three major investigations on the environmental movement for The Guardian.
One investigation was on police surveillance of protesters and journalists at the Kingsnorth camp – the second investigation was on the covert state targeting of Plane Stupid and the third investigation was about the police violence at last years camp – the violence of one person – backed up by a few mates – at this years Climate Camp will in no way impact on me documenting political dissent in this country – far from it.
But and it’s big but – it does make me think about the nature and character of an environmental movement – which claims that it wants to take on the anarchic market system of capitalism that is destroying our planet.
Tags: Camp for Climate Action Climate Camp Climate Change Environment Environmental John Plunkett Kingsnorth Kingsnorth Power Station Martin Dominquez Media Workers National Union of Journalists Photographers Photography Photojournalism Plane Stupid Police Police Surveillance Press Freedom Press Gazette The Guardian
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[...] Marc Vallée and Jonathan Warren’s blog posts on the attack [...]
one guy asks you to delete photos as is his right ( as much as you have a right to take them), has a pop ( you have NO idea of his situation and btw nor do I) and you throw a hissy fit at the WHOLE CC, bringing in the NUJ etc etc, that is truely pathetic.
What a bunch of spoilt ultra privilidged middle class twats, by that I mean the climate campers. If you don’t want to have your pic taken stay at home. It really is that simple, just remember you are on public property and people have every right to take your photograph just like you have every right to do the same, but you do not have a right to assault anyone who isn’t threatening you with violence.
[...] monitoring. The fact I’m not really a fan of Climate Camp tactics full stop – here, here and here – just makes it all the more laughable [...]
[...] Journalists is to meet with members of the Climate Camp media team. The meeting is to discuss the assault of Jonathan Warren and myself which took place at the Climate Camp in August in south east London. [...]
[...] I attended a meeting with members of the Climate Camp media team – at NUJ HQ – to discuss the assault of Jonathan Warren and myself which took place at the Climate Camp in August. The meeting also [...]