LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 02.04.09. A City of London police inspector orders the media to leave the area as police ‘kettle” protesters outside the Bank of England on Thursday 2 April 2009 in London, England. The police officer ordered members of the media to leave the area for 30 minutes under the threat of arrest by citing Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986. The protesters had congregated to mark the death of a man who had died on an anti-G20 protest the day before. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

“Adapting to Protest – Nurturing the British Model of Policing” – inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk

“HMIC press release” – inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk

“‘Aggressive’ policing of protests condemned in post-G20 inquiry” – Paul Lewis, The Guardian.

“Journalists on the G20 front line” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.

My friend and colleague Paul Lewis writes in The Guardian today, “Senior police officers could lose the consent of the British public unless they abandon misguided approaches to public protests that are considered “unfair, aggressive and inconsistent”, an inquiry has found.”

Paul goes on to say, “Denis O’Connor, the chief inspector of constabulary, used a landmark report into public order policing to criticise heavy-handed tactics, which he said threatened to alienate the public and infringe the right to protest.”

Many will welcome the report. But – and its a big but – what impact will this report have on frontline journalists who report and document political dissent in Britain? As the report almost fails to mention photographers and journalists covering protests, I think we will have to wait and see.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 18.05.09. Commander Bob Broadhurst at the NUJ Photographers Conference held at the Institute of Education on Monday 18 May 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

SOUTHPORT, UNITED KINGDOM – 22.11.09. Marc Vallée addresses delegate at the National Union of Journalists Annual Delegate Meeting in Southport on Sunday 22 November 2009. Published here by kind permission of the Jane Hobson. (c) Jane Hobson, 2009.

For the last four days I have been at the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM) in Southport as a delegate from the London Freelance Branch. Yesterday I spoke in favour of Motion 152 on the 1984-85 miners’ strike and how industrial conflict and political dissent is reported.

The motion recognised how the Conservative government mobilised the resources of the state to defeat the strike and the role the media played in this.

I highlighted the stunning photographic account of the miners strike (PDF) by the veteran photojournalist John Harris. Coincidentally John was photographing ADM for the NUJ this year. I also spoke about the attacks by the state on frontline journalists who report and document political dissent and conflict today.

Motion 152 (below) from Leeds Branch was passed.

ADM notes that 2009 is the 25th anniversary of the great miners’ strike of 1984-85 and welcomes the publication by the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom of Shafted: The Media, the Miners’ Strike and the Aftermath.

ADM further recognises that the Conservative government mobilised all of the resources of the state to defeat the strike. With the exception of a few honourable journalists, the media was complicit in this, playing a significant role in the destruction of mining communities and the industry.

ADM recognises that the responsibility for this does not rest with individual journalists and reporters, but with senior editors and news controllers acting on the behest of their owners and controllers. The important exception was local and regional newspapers rooted in mining communities which did often report in a more balanced way.

ADM also notes that during the miners’ strike there were over 70 industrial correspondents and reporters. Now there are, at most, three with a specialist industrial brief.

As trades unionists confront the worst recession since the 1930s, the vital role of journalists on local and regional newspapers being able to report the impact of the economic crisis on jobs and local industry is being undermined by the savage cutbacks in jobs by the big regional newspaper groups.

ADM instructs the NEC to inform other trades unions and the TUC of this situation in order to gain wider trade union support for the campaign to defend jobs and standards in the local and regional media.

I’m on my way to Southport, Merseyside today. I’m a delegate to this year’s Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM) of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Over the next four days delegates will debate motions on press freedom, the future of the media, broadcasting, government policies, equality and lots more.

There are a number of motions which address issues on press freedom, the G20 protests and photographers’ rights. There is a motion from London Central Branch which highlights the investigations I have done for The Guardian on policing and protest, which is nice of them.

The Vice President on the NUJ, Peter Murray, highlighted the media event photographers held outside New Scotland Yard over Section 76 at the beginning of the year in his annual report, which will also be put to the conference.

It’s going to be a busy few days and I’ll be posting a picture each day to sum up my take on events. I’ll also be tweeting my way through the conference – follow the #nujadm hashtag.

You can keep up to date with what is going on via nujadm.org.uk where a team of NUJ students members will be reporting on the conference.

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

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.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 01.09.09. Environmental activists blockade the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) headquarters in the City of London on Tuesday 1 September 2009 London, England. Around 100 climate campers congregated outside RBS – 70% of which is state owned – to protest at the banks investments in carbon intensive projects. Environmental activists set up camp in south east London on Wednesday 26 August 2009 – in clear sight of London’s financial and corporate centre – to hold a week long protest to highlight the impact of climate change. (Photo by Marc Vallee/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

Yesterday 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 looked at the wider issue of press freedom and the environmental movement.

To use diplomatic language, there was a full and frank exchange of views. Two positive things did come out of the meeting. The first was that the media team will raise the NUJ demand for the Climate Camp to specifically condemn this attack on media workers at its next national gathering. I think this is important move forward whatever the outcome.

The second thing that was agreed was to look at ways of how the NUJ could engage with the Climate Camp over its media access policy.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 28.08.09. Part of a metal fence around the Climate Camp site on Friday 28 August 2009 in Blackheath, 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 Vallee, 2009.

Early next week the National Union of 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. The meeting will also look at the wider issue of press freedom and the protest environmental movement.

Both Jonathan and I will be at the meeting.

Publication: Pages 50 and 51 of Huck Magazine, October 2009.

Out now – a feature length interview by Olly Zanetti with yours truly in HUCK – the international surf, skate and snowboarding magazine. Without doubt the most definitive interview about my work and life yet!

Make sure you pick up a copy or you can read it online here.

Publication: Pages 52 and 53 of Huck Magazine, October 2009.

Film footage of me being assaulted in 2006 by the police when working – the footage is from the BAFTA nominated feature film documentary “Taking Liberties” – a gripping exploration of New Labour’s Orwellian legacy. Published here by kind permission of S2S Post. (c) S2S Post, 2006.

Three years ago today – I was doing this and this – then I did this and then went on to do this.

“Frontline Club – Networking Party” – frontlineclub.com

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.