EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – 22.08.10. Around 200 environmental activists in white boiler suits and masks breach police lines at the Royal Bank of Scotland’s headquarters on Sunday 22 August 2010 in Gogarburn. Protesters smashed five large windows with hammers. Police made two arrests (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2010. All rights reserved.

“Climate Camp is restricting free speech” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.

I’ve written an article for Environment section of The Guardian on Climate Camp and the media.

EDMOND TERAKOPIAN tries out the new Leica M9. September 17, 2009. Photo: Antje Bormann.

“Convergence – Should we adapt and how?” – londonphotographers.org

This months London Photographers’ Branch meeting will feature a panel discussion on media convergence, with photographer and branch member Edmond Terakopian and film editor Simon Ruben.

Click here to find out more.

EDMOND TERAKOPIAN and a RED One camera with a Rode NTG-2 mic in a setup to shoot in Ealing Common. June 12, 2010. Photo: Antje Bormann

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 13.12.09. A CCTV camera in front of Harrow Centre Mosque before a protest organized by the far right ‘Stop the Islamisation of Europe’ group is held on Sunday 13 December 2009 London, England. Hundreds of police officers surrounded Harrow Civic Centre, Harrow Central Mosque and Harrow and Wealdstone Station to prevent clashes between members of the English Defence League and anti-fascist campaigners. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

Link: Click here and here to view more pictures.

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

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 13.12.09. Members of the English Defence League (EDL) speak to the media on 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 the EDL and around 250 anti-fascist campaigners. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

Link.

“Climate Camp: Give it up for the Guardian!” – Jonathan Warren, j-warren.co.uk

The Guardian has set up a Flickr group asking Climate Campers to send them pictures from inside the camp – for free!

As my friend and colleague Jonathan Warren writes in an excellent article on his Blog,

“It is no longer news gathering when the subject of a story provides their own content – it is propaganda. Would you trust the Guardian if it took content supplied by the police in the same way?”

To read more click here.

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.

“Video: G20 police threaten photographers with arrest” – The Guardian.

As promised here is the film footage of the Section 14 incident at the G20 protest on the 2nd to mark the death of Ian Tomlinson. The footage was filmed by my good friend and colleague Jason N. Parkinson and published by The Guardian. You can hear me having a “conversation” with the inspector. He tells me to “shut up” and threatens to arrest us if we do not move. To put this all into context this incident took place an hour or so after this.

Also, I have something in The Guardian tomorrow on the Ian Tomlinson case which I have been working on with Paul Lewis, more on that tomorrow.

London G20 Protest 01/04/09 from Ollie Wainwright on Vimeo.

My friend and colleague, the veteran photographer David Hoffman, is targeted and attacked by a police officer in full riot gear, 3 minutes and 22 seconds into this excellent film by Ollie Wainwright.

David was documenting the G20 protest at the time.

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.

Link : Click here to view more images.

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

“Police apologise for obstructing photographers at G20 protest” – The Guardian.

“We were wrong, says the Met” – British Journal of Photography.

“Metropolitan Police apologises to photographers for use of Public Order Act” – British Journal of Photography.

“Press associations weighing options after G20 police abuses” – British Journal of Photography.

The police “apologise” for obstructing photographers (including me) on a protest outside the Bank of England on the 2 April 2009. But why did the police use Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 against a group of working journalists? Why did the police want the journalists to be moved away from the protest for 30 minutes and 200 yards up the road? Why did the police threatened to arrest the journalists? Why did a journalist get told to shut up when questioned why the Public Order Act was being used in this way? And why was the UK Press Card ignored?

Audio and film footage of this incident will be available soon.

Here is the full text of Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986:

14.—( 1) If the senior police officer, having regard to the time or place at which and the circumstances in which any public assembly is being held or is intended to be held, reasonably believes that—

(a) it may result in serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community, or

(b) the purpose of the persons organising it is the intimidation of others with a view to compelling them not to do an act they have a right to do, or to do an act they have a right not to do, he may give directions imposing on the persons organising or taking part in the assembly such conditions as to the place at which the assembly may be (or continue to be) held, its maximum duration, or the maximum number of persons who may constitute it, as appear to him necessary to prevent such disorder, damage, disruption or intimidation.

(2) In subsection (1) “the senior police officer” means—

(a) in relation to an assembly being held, the most senior in rank of the police officers present at the scene, and

(b) in relation to an assembly intended to be held, the chief officer of police.

(3) A direction given by a chief officer of police by virtue of subsection (2)(b) shall be given in writing.

(4) A person who organises a public assembly and knowingly fails to comply with a condition imposed under this section is guilty of an offence, but it is a defence for him to prove that the failure arose from circumstances beyond his control.

(5) A person who takes part in a public assembly and knowingly fails to comply with a condition imposed under this section is guilty of an offence, but it is a defence for him to prove that the failure arose from circumstances beyond his control.

(6) A person who incites another to commit an offence under subsection (5) is guilty of an offence.

(7) A constable in uniform may arrest without warrant anyone he reasonably suspects is committing an offence under subsection (4), (5) or (6).

(8) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (4) is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale or both.

(9) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (5) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(10) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (6) is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale or both, notwithstanding section 45(3) of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 19.12.08. Protesters congregate outside the American Embassy in support of the Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi in London, England on Friday 19th December 2008. The media and anti-war campaign group, Media Workers against the War and the Stop the War Coalition, held a joint protest to call for the release of Muntadar al-Zaidi who threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush on an official visit to Iraq. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.

“Iraqi shoe thrower badly beaten in custody, claims brother” – The Guardian.

Link: Click here to view more pictures.

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

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.