“Ian Tomlinson ruling: can we trust officers to police protests fairly now?” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.
Here is a Comment is free for Liberty Central by yours truly on the CPS decision not to bring criminal charges against a highly trained Metropolitan police territorial support group officer who struck Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests last year.
“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.
“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!
“Police use of protest photos will face review” – The Financial Times.
Here is a link to an article by Michael Peel, FT Legal Correspondent; James Boxell, FT Home Affairs Correspondent and yours truly in The Financial Times today on police surveillance. Do you want to know what a left-wing Labour MP, the deputy Prime Minister’s ‘interfaith and extremism’ adviser and maybe you have in common? If so then read on or pick up a copy.
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.
“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.
“Victory for NUJ members, human rights and press freedom” – nuj.org.uk
“Police pay damages to journalists for breaching their right to report” – bindmans.com
“A Victory for Press Freedom” – londonphotographers.org
Jason Parkinson and I have won our Greek Embassy case against the Metropolitan Police. This is a significant victory for press freedom.
Here is the police apology in full:
“On 8 December 2008 well-respected political journalists Marc Vallée and Jason Parkinson were reporting a protest outside the Greek Embassy, Holland Park, London. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has accepted liability for breach of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The MPS apologise for this and have paid compensation. The MPS confirms its recognition that freedom of the press is a cornerstone of democracy and that journalists have a right to report freely. The MPS recognise that on 8 December 2008 they failed to respect press freedom in respect of Mr Vallée and Mr Parkinson.”
Click here for the full NUJ press release.
Past blog posts:
“Journalists launch civil action against police” – marcvallee.co.uk/blog
“Police to investigate Greek embassy incident” – marcvallee.co.uk/blog
“Video: Journalists obstructed at Greek Embassy protest” – marcvallee.co.uk/blog
“Can I have my lens hood back officer?” – marcvallee.co.uk/blog
“Reporting terrorism: NUJ Ethics Council guidelines” – National Union of Journalists.
The National Union of Journalists Ethics Council has produced a set of guidelines for journalists covering “terrorism cases” – well worth taking a look at.
Let’s face it some need to read it more then others!
“A few photographs add up to a minor terror alert” – Paul Lewis, The Guardian.
“From snapshot to Special Branch: how my camera made me a terror suspect” – Paul Lewis, The Guardian.
“We’re photographers, not terrorists” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.
Last week my friend and colleague Paul Lewis took a walk in the City of London and ended up getting stopped and searched under section 44 of the Terrorism Act.
I wrote a Comment is free about how society’s visual history is under threat.
Publication: Lead story of The Independent, 3 December 2009.
“Warning: Do not take this picture” – The Independent.
“In the eyes of the law” – BBC News.
“I’m Photographer Not a Terrorist!” – photographernotaterrorist.org
Over the last two days I have done interviews for The Independent and BBC News on the impact anti-terrorism laws on public photography. I was also asked to go on Channel 4 News and BBC Breakfast. But let’s face it I have a face for radio, so no surprise the TV interviews did not work out – but I was thinking about it!
But seriously, why is the act of making a picture deemed by the state to be so potentially threatening? Why is photography routinely criminalised? Anti-terrorism legislation talks about creating a hostile environment for ‘terrorists’ to operate but the reality is that it has created a hostile environment for public photography. This has had an incredibly detrimental effect on freedom of expression.
Its time for the controversial section 44 to go!
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.
