I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! – photographernotaterrorist.org
“Press Clippings: I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist!” – marcvallee.co.uk
Grant Smith and yours truly being interviewed on BBC News 24 in Trafalgar Square on Saturday 23 January 2010 before 3,000 photographers congregated for the “I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist!” Mass Photo Gathering event.
Pictures: “Mass Photography Demonstration Against Police Stop & Search Powers” – gettyimages.com
Here are a few of the better press clippings I have found of the 3,000 strong I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! event in Trafalgar Square yesterday. It is a shame that the BBC News 24 broadcast is not up online as I have been told it was pretty good. Feel free to let me know of anything I have missed that is worth taking a look at. It was great to see so many photographers in one place – until next time!
“Photographers protest against police stop and search” – The Guardian.
“Photographers protest over UK terror search laws” – BBC News.
“Snappers Protest Over Police Search Powers” – Sky News.
“Photographers protest UK terror law” – CNN.
“Photographers protest in Trafalgar Square” – ITN News.
“Photographers protest against police use of anti-terror laws” – Daily Telegraph
A few of the 3,000 strong I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! photographers go for some light refreshments after the event. Picture published here by kind permission of the Unknown Snapper.
Media Release: “Mass Photo Gathering in Defence of Street Photography” – photographernotaterrorist.org
“We’re photographers, not terrorists” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.
Looking forward to seeing you all later today!
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 16.02.09. Photographers stage a mass photo taking event outside New Scotland Yard on Monday 16 February 2009 in London, England. The event, called by the National Union of Journalists, marked the enforcement date of section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 which could prevent the media and public from taking pictures of the police . (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.
“Photographers unite to tackle avalanche” – National Union of Journalists.
Today I transferred my NUJ membership over to the new London Photographers’ Branch (LPB) and I’m looking forward to the inaugural meeting in just under two weeks time. If you are an NUJ member – full, temporary or student – and a photographer or lens based journalists “who lives in London or who carries out the majority of their work for clients based in London” then this is the NUJ Branch for you.
Below is a media release from the NUJ HQ about the new branch and how to join.
NUJ Media Release: Photographers unite to tackle avalanche
You don’t have to go to the Alps to experience an avalanche, photographers in every sector of the media have experienced an avalanche of jobs cuts, picture rate cuts, pay freezes and unprecedented workloads.
Media companies blame the recession and an inability to find a way to monetise content online – but they have been whittling away jobs, picture rates and conditions for years.
Photographers in London are coming together to form a new NUJ branch for freelance, staff and agency photographers to unite and defend photographers’ rights and terms and conditions.
The London Photographers’ Branch will hold its inaugural meeting on Tuesday, January 26th, at 6pm in the union’s head office, Headland House.
Membership of the Branch is open to any NUJ photographer who lives in London or who carries out the majority of their work for clients based in London.
To transfer your membership to the new Branch, you should contact the NUJ Membership Department at paulg@nuj.org.uk before January 26th.
NUJ President Pete Murray said: “This new branch is a really exciting development bringing together those who have for many years campaigned hard for the rights of photographers. The launch of the branch will boost the effectiveness of such work and give it the profile it deserves in the industry and in the union”.
Publication: Huck Magazine, October 2009.
A brief and selected review of 2009 – in no particular order.
Documenting political dissent, front page investigations, press freedom, Section 76, photographers rights, Section 44, the G20, a good day, a bad day, media interviews, winning an award, a face for radio, suing the Met (again), thinking about space, police surveillance, Huck Magazine, death threats, lunch, photographers organising, the Frontline Club, skateboarding, protest boys, looking back, Twitter, McCarthyite games & thinking about far off lands.
All said and done 2009 was a full on year. One wonders what 2010 has in store?
“Reporting terrorism: NUJ Ethics Council guidelines” – National Union of Journalists.
The National Union of Journalists Ethics Council has produced a set of guidelines for journalists covering “terrorism cases” – well worth taking a look at.
Let’s face it some need to read it more then others!
“A few photographs add up to a minor terror alert” – Paul Lewis, The Guardian.
“From snapshot to Special Branch: how my camera made me a terror suspect” – Paul Lewis, The Guardian.
“We’re photographers, not terrorists” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.
Last week my friend and colleague Paul Lewis took a walk in the City of London and ended up getting stopped and searched under section 44 of the Terrorism Act.
I wrote a Comment is free about how society’s visual history is under threat.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 13.12.09. Joel Titus, youth leader of the English Defence League lunges at a photographer as around fifteen far right protesters attend a demonstration organised by a group called ‘Stop the Islamisation of Europe’ in Harrow on Sunday 13 December 2009 in north-west London, England. Hundreds of police officers surrounded the Harrow Civic Centre car park, Harrow Central Mosque and Harrow and Wealdstone Station to prevent clashes between members of the English Defence League and around 250 anti-fascist campaigners. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.
“Far right embraces fatwas” – Jason N Parkinson, The Guardian.
“Death threats for journalists covering far right demos” – National Union of Journalists.
On Sunday I covered a protest outside Harrow Central Mosque in north-west London. A group called ‘Stop the Islamisation of Europe’ had called a protest with support from members of the English Defence League (EDL). You can read a BBC News report here and Asim Siddiqui in The Guardian here.
Towards the end of the protest Joel Titus, leader of the EDL youth division, lunged towards me and hit my camera into my face and then ran away.
If you put this into the context of death threats of journalists who cover far right protests, this was not only a thuggish attack of an individual, in full view of police officers, but an attack on press freedom which underpins a free and democratic society.
Update 19.12.09: Joel Titus was arrested on the morning of Thursday 17 December 2009 by Harrow police. It’s my understanding after being questioned and shown CCTV footage of the assault Titus accepted what he had done was wrong and was cautioned for Battery under Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
The Met Press Bureau issued the following statement, “An 18-year-old man from Harrow has been arrested and cautioned following an allegation of common assault.”
The National Union of Journalists will be issuing statement on this next week.
Update 22.12.09: National Union of Journalists statement.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 13.12.09. Joel Titus, leader of the EDL Youth Division, strikes photojournalist Marc Vallée as he leaves a protest outside Harrow Mosque on Sunday 13 December 2009. (Photo by Jonathan Warren. (c) Jonathan Warren, 2009. Published here by kind permission of Jonathan Warren.
Publication: Lead story of The Independent, 3 December 2009.
“Warning: Do not take this picture” – The Independent.
“In the eyes of the law” – BBC News.
“I’m Photographer Not a Terrorist!” – photographernotaterrorist.org
Over the last two days I have done interviews for The Independent and BBC News on the impact anti-terrorism laws on public photography. I was also asked to go on Channel 4 News and BBC Breakfast. But let’s face it I have a face for radio, so no surprise the TV interviews did not work out – but I was thinking about it!
But seriously, why is the act of making a picture deemed by the state to be so potentially threatening? Why is photography routinely criminalised? Anti-terrorism legislation talks about creating a hostile environment for ‘terrorists’ to operate but the reality is that it has created a hostile environment for public photography. This has had an incredibly detrimental effect on freedom of expression.
Its time for the controversial section 44 to go!
CARLO GIULIANI 23, shot dead by Italian riot police. Genoa G8 Summit. 21/07/01. Copyright Jess Hurd 2001. Published here by kind permission of Jess Hurd.
“Photo-Forum” – photo-forum.org
This Thursday’s Photo-Forum is going to be the place to be! Stuart Freedman, Eddie Mulholland and the one and only – my good friend and colleague – Jess Hurd will be showing their work.
Photo-Forum is a place for working photographers across the spectrum to bring images, photo stories and work in progress for supportive debate and criticism and sometimes we talk about terror laws.
