“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.
Publication: Pages 3 of The Financial Times Saturday 17 October 2009.
“Met under fire over picture database” – Michael Peel, James Boxell and Marc Vallée, The Financial Times
“Police image library raises Orwellian concerns” – Michael Peel and Marc Vallée, The Financial Times
“Focus on legality of database” – Michael Peel and Marc Vallée, The Financial Times
Over the last two weeks I have been working for The Financial Times on an investigation into a secret police database of pictures of protesters. This made the front page today of the FT. The investigation team included Michael Peel the FT Legal Correspondent, James Boxell the FT Home Affairs Correspondent and yours truly.
To read what we found out click on the links above.
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.
“Good news for photographers” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.
I have written piece for The Guardian’s Liberty Central about the “I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist!” campaign and the new Home Office advice on counter-terrorism legislation and photography in a public place.
KINGSNORTH, KENT, UNITED KINGDOM – 09.8.08. Two mounted police officers raise their batons amongst protestors as police move in to arrest a man as environmental activists march on Kingsnorth Power Station Hoo, Kent, England on Saturday 9th August 2008. 2,000 campaigners marched on the Power Station with the aim to shut it down for the day. (Photo Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2008.
“Met police turns on charm ahead of climate protest” – Paul Lewis, The Guardian.
“Climate Campers Should Steer Clear of Police Charm Offensive” – Kevin Blowe, blowe.org.uk
“Met bids to “charm” protesters ahead of Climate Camp” – Guy Aitchison, opendemocracy.net
So what is it going to be like to document the Climate Camp next week?
My colleague Paul Lewis – who I have worked with on investigations into police surveillance of protesters and journalists, covert state targeting of environmental activists and police violence – has written an interesting article about how the Metropolitan Police are “overhauling its tactics for policing protests by reaching out to activists”. The Public Order Branch of the Met – C011 – has even set up a Twitter account! And yes I am following them.
A group of activists from the Climate Camp are on a day trip to the Met’s public order training centre in Gravesend today and I’m told that representatives from the National Union of Journalists are also at Gravesend today to work on relations between the media and the police in a public order context.
So is this just public relations or a real change in policing of protest?
Activist Kevin Blowe – writing on his Blog yesterday thinks climate activists should steer clear of the “police charm offensive” and Guy Aitchison – a contributing editor at openDemocracy makes the point that, “if the Met were at all serious about becoming a facilitator of peaceful protest, rather than an obstacle to it, they would abandon the apparatus of control and surveillance they’ve brought in recent years which seems designed to intimidate protesters and makes them feel like criminals.”
For me the test will be on the ground next week. Bottom line – will the Met respect the right to protest and the right of the media report it?
I’m sure some in the media will buy into the narrative the Met is spinning – I for one feel it is our job to report on events and not to treat a media strategy from New Scotland Yard as fact.
A new campaign for photographers’ rights launched this weekend – with more than two hundred leading photographers showing their support for the PhotographerNotaTerrorist.org website by holding up a placard saying “I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist!” – will help all photographers to understand and uphold their legal right to take photographs.
The campaign will fight for photographers’ rights across the country, opposing police repression and the abuse of anti-terrorism legislation. It will challenge the unreasonable restrictions in pseudo-public spaces such as shopping centres and Canary Wharf.
Anti-Terror Map: The website will map the use across the country of anti-terrorism legislation which can impose prison sentences for simply photographing a police officer and whose wide-ranging draconian powers allow police to stop and search anyone even where there is no reasonable suspicion of terrorism at all.
Stop & Search Bust Card: Also featured on the site will be a ‘bust card’ for photographers – that will set out their legal right to take photographs when stopped by police or security staff.
Canary Wharf ‘Flash-mob’: The campaign calls for a National Photographers Flash-Mob of Canary Wharf on 12th September 2009 and is calling for photographers across the country to highlight spaces where photography is unreasonably restricted. The flash-mob action will highlight how heavy handed private security guards are restricting individual liberty and press freedom by preventing photographers from pursuing their hobby or their profession.
The London flash-mob will be at 3pm at the Clocks, Canary Wharf, London.
Update -12.08.09: PhotographerNotaTerrorist.org has had a bit of press.
“I’m a photographer…” – Phil Coomes, BBC News.
“Photographers’ rights fight sparks new campaign” – Chris Cheesman, amateurphotographer.co.uk
“I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! – A new campaign for photographers rights” – photolegal.com
If you are in London this Saturday (08.08.09) and care about photography – and press freedom – this is the event for you! Why? Read on:
“Photography is under attack. Across the country anyone with a camera is targeted as a potential terrorist. This campaign is for everyone who values visual imagery and press freedom.
“This campaign will co-ordinate a collective response to the restrictions on photography across the country. We will be organising events where photography is restricted to show how pointless these restrictions are. It will also be an information resource for photographers’ rights and will map areas where photography is restricted.”
And much, much more.
“Police should respect press freedom” – Olly Zanetti, The Guardian.
“Photographers complain about police obstruction” – Kate Day, blogs.telegraph.co.uk
“Photographers take action against the Met” – National Union of Journalists
Today my solicitor served papers on the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis. Due to legal reasons I can not say anything about the case but the links above and below should give you all the information and background you need.
Past blog posts:
“Police to investigate Greek embassy incident” – blog.marcvallee.co.uk
“Video: Journalists obstructed at Greek Embassy protest” – blog.marcvallee.co.uk
“Can I have my lens hood back officer?” – blog.marcvallee.co.uk
