DERBYSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.08.09. A tattooed anti-fascist protester – with “Nazi Nick & BNP – you don’t speak for me” written across his vest – near the village of Codnor, Derbyshire, England on Saturday 15 August 2009. Protesters had congregated to protest against a festival organized by the far right British National Party (BNP) on a farm – owned by a BNP member – near Codnor in Derbyshire. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.
Here is the video from last night at The Frontline Club – a discussion on the impact of “citizen journalism” on photography. I was on the panel along with Turi Munthe (CEO, Demotix), Olivier Laurent (News Editor, British Journal of Photography) and Matthew Eltringham (BBC News, User Generated Content). The night was chaired by Ben Hammersley (Associate Editor, WIRED).
The Q&A at the end gets a little bit feisty – enjoy.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 03.07.09. Journalists and human rights activists protest outside the Gambian High Commission in London on Friday 3 July 2009 in London, England. Seven journalists and members of the Gambia Press Union were arrested by the Gambian National Intelligence Agency on 15 June 2009 and charged with publishing, and conspiracy to publish, seditious material contrary to Gambia’s Criminal Code. The London protest – organised by National Union of Journalists, Amnesty International and the TUC – marked the start of the hearings and were part of a series of demonstrations organised by the International Federation of Journalists from across the world. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.
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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 03.07.09. NUJ Deputy General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet joins journalists and human rights activists protest outside the Gambian High Commission in London on Friday 3 July 2009 in London, England. Seven journalists and members of the Gambia Press Union were arrested by the Gambian National Intelligence Agency on 15 June 2009 and charged with publishing, and conspiracy to publish, seditious material contrary to Gambia’s Criminal Code. The London protest – organised by National Union of Journalists, Amnesty International and the TUC – marked the start of the hearings and were part of a series of demonstrations organised by the International Federation of Journalists from across the world. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.
“The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on the world of journalism to raise its voice in protest over Israeli government pressure on media trying to cover the Gaza conflict. The Government has imposed a blockade on the world’s media trying to report on the crisis inside Gaza.
“The IFJ call comes as another Palestinian journalist was reported killed – the fourth victim of recent Israeli military action in Gaza. Eyhab Al Wahidi , who worked as a cameraman for the Palestinian Broadcast Corporation in Gaza, was killed with his wife and mother in law yesterday when Israeli troops shelled their home in Gaza city. The family children were injured.”
SLIDESHOW: Group slideshow (above) of National Union of Journalist General Secretary, Jeremy Dear staging a one-man protest outside the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, New Scotland Yard, London, England on Friday 28th March 2008. The protest which was attended by press photographers from across of UK and was in response to numerous complaints about how the police deal with the media, particularly at public events and demonstrations. (All images copyright of stated copyright holder).
Jacqui Smith the Home Secretary has replied to NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear on the issue of police surveillance of journalists, well kind of. The lack of a response to the main points in Jeremy Dear’sletter is sadly no great surprise.
The Home Secretary response starts with, “first of all, may I take this opportunity to state that the government greatly values the importance of the freedom of the press, and as such there is no legal restriction on photography in a public places”.
Then comes the but, “however, decisions may be made locally to restrict or monitor photography in reasonable circumstances. That it is an operational decision for the officers involved based on the individual circumstances of each situation”. The British Journal of Photography view on this is that this “green lights restrictions on photography” and the Press Gazette view is that the Home Secretary is telling us that the surveillance of journalists by the police is an “operational decision”!
The orwellian newspeak from the Home Secretary translates into police surveillance of journalists, journalists being arrested or threatened with arrest, equipment being seized, physically intimidated and actual physical violence on the streets.
All points that I will make to Tony McNulty, Minister of State for Security, Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Policing when I meet him along with Jeremy Dear and other journalists.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.06.08. A Metropolitan Police Forward Intelligence Team photographer films and photographs journalists as police and protesters clash during a demonstration against U.S President George W Bush in Parliament Square, Westminster on Sunday 15 June 2008, London, England. Protesters had been banned by the Metropolitan 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.
Last Thursday NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear sent a letter to Jacqui Smith the Home Secretary on the issue of police surveillance of journalists. In the letterJeremy Dear writes that “…we have serious concerns about the activities of the Metropolitan Police’s Forward Intelligence Team (FIT Team) in monitoring and recording the activities of bona fide journalists, especially photographers.” He goes on to say the “police’s surveillance… amounts to virtual harassment”.
The full text of the letter has been released to the press today and the British Journal of Photography has taken up the issue (below) in this weeks magazine.
British Journal of Photography, 28.05.08, page 4. Copyright British Journal of Photography/Incisive Media, 2008. Published here by kind permission of the British Journal of Photography/Incisive Media.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 02.05.08. Metropolitan Police Forward Intelligence Team (FIT) members take notes and a civilian police photographer films and photographs journalists before an anarchist protest outside City Hall on Friday 2 May 2008 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 02.05.08. A civilian police photographer films and photographs working journalists outside City Hall on Friday 2 May 2008 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.
I took the above images last week when I was working outside City Hall covering this protest. The images and captions tell you part of the story, but as often is the case not all of it. Over the weeks and months ahead I will be posting more on the political, legal, and journalistic response to this undemocratic and repressive practice.
