Link.

I will be taking part in a panel discussion at Signs of Revolt tomorrow as part of the “I’m a Photographer, not a Terrorist” campaign – do pop along if you can.

11am, Sunday 15 November 2009.
Shop 14, The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL.

“This panel looks at the impact of digital photographic tools on reporting events, particularly post-G20 and how the State is trying to criminalise image taking and the ways photographers are getting organised to resist this. This will be interspersed with photo shows and film clips from the archives of some of the key movements photographers and filmmakers.”

The panel will also include photojournalist Jess Hurd, film and print journalist Jason N. Parkinson and filmmaker Shaun Day.

Here are some past workshops, conferences and panel discussions I have done this year.

DERBYSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.08.09. A British National Party (BNP) supporter – with an England flag tattooed on the back of his head – watches an anti-fascist march walk past on Saturday 15 August 2009 in Codnor, Derbyshire. Protesters had congregated to protest against a festival organized by the far right BNP on a farm – owned by a BNP member near Codnor in Derbyshire. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

On Monday Jason N. Parkinson and I attended a meeting with the legal officer of the National Union of Journalists. The meeting looked into the legal options that are available to us after being targeted by the far right.

The NUJ will be issuing a further statement about this in the next week.

“Police should respect press freedom” – Olly Zanetti, The Guardian.

“Photographers complain about police obstruction” – Kate Day, blogs.telegraph.co.uk

“Photographers take action against the Met” – National Union of Journalists

Today my solicitor served papers on the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis. Due to legal reasons I can not say anything about the case but the links above and below should give you all the information and background you need.

Past blog posts:

“Police to investigate Greek embassy incident” – blog.marcvallee.co.uk

“Video: Journalists obstructed at Greek Embassy protest” – blog.marcvallee.co.uk

“Can I have my lens hood back officer?” – blog.marcvallee.co.uk

“I’m A Photographer… Not A Terrorist” – Jason N.Parkinson, Current TV.

Here is a short film from my good friend and colleague Jason N.Parkinson about the mass photo taking event that took place outside New Scotland Yard last Monday. Enjoy!

KINGSNORTH, KENT, UNITED KINGDOM – 05.8.08. Police stop and search Jason N. Parkinson, Video & Print Journalist,  outside the main gates of the Camp for Climate Action Kingsnorth, Kent, England on Tuesday 5th August 2008.  Published here by kind permission of Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk. (c) Jess Hurd, 2008.

“Covering Climate Camp: Part One” – Current TV.

“Covering Climate Camp: Part Two” – Current TV.

My colleague Jason N. Parkinson has made a film about journalists covering Climate Camp in Kent last summer.  Click on the links above to watch the film and this is what Jason had to say about the film.

“In August 2008, environmental protestors set up camp in Kent, England, to protest the current and newly proposed E-On coal-fired power stations at Kingsnorth.   Part one of the film documents not the protest movement, but the journalists trying to cover the story for independent and mainstream news organisations.

“In some of the worst scenes of police interference the press were subjected to stop-and-search, harassment, aggression and violence, which led to the National Union of Journalists and the industry media publically slamming the police on the grounds of press freedom restriction.

“In Part Two of two of the film the policing gets heavier, journalists trying to cover the story for independent and mainstream news organisations face surveillance, harassment, endless stop-and-searches and assault – they are even followed by a police unit to a McDonald’s restaurant.”

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.

Link: Click here to view more pictures.

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

I took the picture above and the two pictures 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 pictures at the bottom of this post were taken behind the police lines after we were removed.   One wonders which pictures 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 pictures 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

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.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 08.12.08. Two police officers attempt to stop Photojournalist Marc Vallée reporting on a blockade of the Greek Embassy by Greek and British anarchists in London, England on Monday 8th December 2008. Published here by kind permission of Philip Caller.  (c) Philip Caller, 2008.

“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

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

Yesterday the National Union of Journalists criticised the Metropolitan Police for their handling of the media – Jason N.Parkinson and yours truly – at a protest outside the Greek Embassy in London earlier this week.

Update 25.06.10: The above Video was removed from Current TV by the copyright holder sometime in June 2010. I have replaced the video with above picture today.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.11.08.  Photojournalist Marc Vallée speaking at a workshop on “Journalists and the “terror” laws” at a conference at the London School of Economics, London, England on Saturday 15th November 2008.  The half-day conference called “Under Siege – Islam, War And The Media” was hosted by Media Workers Against the War which is a group of concerned journalists and media workers who campaign against the effects of the “war on terror” on the British media and in turn on British politics.  Published here by kind permission of Rikki/london.indymedia.org.uk 2008.

Here is a set of audio files from the Journalists and the “terror” laws workshop I spoke at last weekend at the London School of Economics here in London. The workshop was part of a half-day conference called Under Siege – Islam, War And The Media, which was hosted by Media Workers Against the War.  Click on the links below to hear the speakers and the discussion and to view the film that was screened in the workshop. Your feedback would be most welcome.

Audio: Marc Vallée (MP3 – 15.9 MB File).

Film: Screening of Jason N.Parkinson’s film Press Freedom: Collateral Damage.

Audio: Lousie Christian, Hicham Yezza and discussion.  (MP3 – 53.8 MB File).

Audio: Lousie Christian, Hicham Yezza, discussion and Marc Vallée.  (MP3 – 6.95 MB File).

Note: The audio files are published here by kind permission of Rikki/london.indymedia.org.uk.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.11.08.  Campaigning lawyer Louise Christian  from Christian Khan, Hicham Yezza the editor of Ceasefire Magazine who was arrested for downloading an al-Qaeda document from a US government website and photojournalist Marc Vallée speak at a “Journalists and the “terror” law” session. Media Workers Against War Conference. LSE, London. Published here by kind permission of Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk. (c) Jess Hurd, 2008.

The agenda for Under Siege – Islam, War And The Media conference has been updated.  The workshop that I’m speaking at is now called Journalists and the “terror” laws and two extra speakers have been added to the line up. 

The campaigning lawyer Lousie Christian from Christian Khan and Hicham Yezza the editor of Ceasefire Magazine who was arrested for downloading an al-Qaeda document from a US government website have both been added to the line up.

The conference is being held a the London School of Economics (Map) and starts at 2pm and you can buy your ticket here.  The event is open to all and not just media workers.