BOLTON, UNITED KINGDOM – 20.03.10. Far right nationalist campaigners congregate in Bolton on Saturday 10 March 2010 in Lancashire, England. The English Defence League protested in Victoria Square as shops and pubs across the town closed for the day. Police in full riot gear used the controversial tactic of ‘kettling’ along with dogs, horses and riot police snatch squads to control a counter demonstration organised by Unite Against Fascism (UAF). Police made dozens of arrests, including UAF organiser Weyman Bennett. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2010.

“NUJ joins the calls to stop the EDL” – National Union of Journalists.

On Tuesday the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) issued a media release on its position on the planned demonstration in Bradford later this month called by the far-right English Defence League (EDL).

I was quoted in the release on the attacks on photographers and journalists who have documented EDL protests across the country.

The NUJ opened the statement with,

“The NUJ believes allowing the English Defence League (EDL) to march through Bradford runs a serious risk that local communities will be attacked, threatened and subjected to racist abuse and supports calls on the Home Secretary not to allow the demonstration to go ahead.”

It is a mistake for the NUJ to call on the the Home Secretary to ban this demonstration. I believe it is a dangerous and counterproductive move for a freedom of expression organisation like the NUJ to call on the state to ban a demonstration.

Trade unions should be campaigning against draconian laws that ban political dissent. Not calling on a Tory Home Secretary to use them and effect giving such laws legitimacy.

These laws are more likely to be used against the labour and trade union movement and other progressive groups – especially in a period austerity.

The way to combat the EDL is to fight the social, economic and political conditions that give rise to them. For trade union members to support and join counter protests and for journalists to expose the true nature and character of such groups.

Update (21.08.10): Here is the Home Office letter to Bradford Council on the use of Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 that bans all demonstrations – both the EDL and UAF -in Bradford from Saturday 28 August to Monday 30 August 2010.

“The Media Show” – BBC Radio 4.

I was a guest on BBC Radio 4′s Media Show today which is hosted by Steve Hewlett.

“Earlier this month the government said police would need stronger grounds before stopping and searching photographers on suspicion of terrorism. While welcoming this repeal of s44 of the Terrorism Act, photographer Marc Vallée says he still has concerns about police conduct, which he puts to ACPO’s spokesman on this, Craig Mackey, Cumbria’s Chief Constable.”

You can also download a podcast of the show from here.

Poster.

“Victory Flashmob – Section 44 is Dead!” – londonphotographers.org

“Campaigners claim victory over Stop & Search ruling” – PhotographerNotaTerrorist.org

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow. First round is on the Met!

Link.

“Journalists win payout after police admit failing to respect press freedom” – Paul Lewis, The Guardian.

“The Met’s apology to journalists is only of value if it acts upon it” – Olly Zanetti, The Guardian.

“Photographers win damages in Met Police legal case” – British Journal of Photography.

“Photographers win human rights victory over police” – Amateur Photographer.

“Police pay damages and apologise to photojournalists” – Press Gazette.

Here is the press round for the Greek Embassy case. Right, now back to work.

“Speaking up for press freedom” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.

Here is my Comment is free on last nights Hostile Reconnaissance – Terror Laws, Civil Liberties and Press Freedom rally organised by the London Photographers’ Branch of the National Union of Journalists.

Do we need a press freedom bill?

A legal definition of who is a journalist is problematic but both news gathering and journalism need legal protection.

For me a press freedom bill would not be about giving individual journalists more legal protection then any other citizen. What it could do is give the act of news gathering legal protection. The film footage by a New York fund manger of the attack on Ian Tomlinson at the G20 in London last year by a TSG police officer was a very important act of news gathering by a member of the public who was not a journalist.

In the hands of Paul Lewis and The Guardian that film footage become journalism. The police did visit The Guardian office to put pressure on The Guardian to remove the film from its website. Thankfully The Guardian stood up to this pressure. Legal protection in that context would be a step forward.

We have a common law right to take a picture in a public place. Court rulings over privacy, counterterrorism laws and police action threaten that common law right. I would like that right to be protected for all.

Updated: 15.04.10.

“Hostile Reconnaissance – Terror Laws, Civil Liberties & Press Freedom” – London Photographers’ Branch of the NUJ.

I’m one of the speakers at the London Photographers’ Branch pre-election rally next week along with Jeremy Dear, General Secretary National Union of Journalists; Paul Lewis, Guardian journalist & British Press Awards Reporter of the Year 2010; Keith Ewing, Professor of Public Law at King’s College London & author of Bonfire of the Liberties; Henry Porter, Observer columnist, author & London editor of Vanity Fair and Chez Cotton, Head of Action Against the Police at Bindmans Solicitors & a co-ordinator of the Police Action Lawyers Group.

Hostile Reconnaissance: Terror Laws, Civil Liberties & Press Freedom at 7pm on the 13th of April at Friends Meeting House in Euston.

Click here for more information.

“Hostile Reconnaissance – Terror Laws, Civil Liberties & Press Freedom” – London Photographers’ Branch of the NUJ.

The London Photographers’ Branch of the NUJ is holding a pre-election rally on Terror Laws, Civil Liberties & Press Freedom at 7pm on the 13th of April at Friends Meeting House in Euston.

Click here for more information.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 05.03.10. Anti-fascist campaigns protests against the far right English Defence League and the controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders on Friday 5 March 2010 in London, England. Wilders – who has been banned from the UK in the past by the Home Office – had been invited by of the UK Independence party leader Lord Pearson to screen his anti-Islam film at the House of Loads. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2010.

“Don’t harass journalists, NUJ tells EDL supporters” – National Union of Journalists.

The far right Casuals United target and harass journalists in the lead up to this weekends protests in Bolton and rip off my pictures (copyright/moral rights infringement) from this Blog – the National Union of Journalists takes the matter up.

“Your 10 questions for would-be MPs” – Henry Porter, The Guardian.

“Ten reasons to feel uneasy” – Anthony Barnett, opendemocracy.net

Last night I was at the launch of Keith Ewing’s new book Bonfire of the Liberties – “a provocative book which confronts the corrosion of civil liberties under successive New Labour governments since 1997.”

I was one of the speakers at this packed out event held at NUJ headquarters along side Jeremy Dear, NUJ general secretary; Henry Porter, novelist and political columnist for The Observer; Dave Smith, from the Blacklist Support Group; Cerie Bullivant, who was on a control order for two years and Pennie Quinton, who took Section 44 to Strasbourg.

Dave Smith’s contribution on blacklisting in the UK construction industry and the attacks on trade unionists was very powerful.

We have to keep an eye on databases of multinationals as much as the states. It is important to defend our Article 11 rights as trade unionists to meet without being put under surveillance and harassed, by either the state or private companies.

The investigations on police surveillance of protesters and journalists as well as the covert state targeting of environmental activists that I worked on with Paul Lewis at The Guardian are mentioned in Ewing’s book which was a nice surprise.

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.

“Reporting the BNP” – reportingthebnp.org

Reporting the BNP – A Practical Guide for Journalists – is a new National Union of Journalists website that highlights the important role journalists have when covering the far right British National Party.

Well worth taking a look at.