LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 11.05.09. A Metropolitan Police Territorial Support Group (TSG) sergeant attempts to stop photojournalist Marc Vallée from documenting a Tamil protest outside the Houses of Parliament on Monday 11 May 2009 in London, England. Photographers were forcibly removed from the area as police moved in to clear the occupied road outside Parliament Square. Tamil protesters had congregated to highlight the bombings of Tamil civilians by Sri Lanka government forces in the last 24 hours. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.
Today the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has hit out at the treatment of journalists by police at a Tamil protest on Monday outside the Houses of Parliament.
Update:Roy Greenslade on his Guardian blog writes, “The police appear to have learned nothing from their experience at the G20 protest. Their handling of the press during the Tamil demonstration outside parliament has been, at best, clumsy, and at worst, an assault on journalistic freedom.”Click here read more.
Publication: Front cover of Stage Screen & Radio magazine (Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union – BECTU), April 2009.
Here are two tear sheets of images of mine on police surveillance. Above is the front cover of the April issue of the BECTUStage Screen & Radio magazine and below is one from The Guardian from last month. As most of you will know I also co-wroteThe Guardian investigation.
Publication: Pages 14 & 15 of The Guardian, 7 March 2009.
On Thursday 26 February, following the highly successful media event, “I’m a Photographer … not a Terrorist”, outside New Scotland Yard, NUJ members organised a meeting on photography and the law.
The meeting, hosted by Photo-Forum was chaired by Jess Hurd. The evening was introduced by photographer, Peter Macdiarmid, with solicitor, Anna Mazzola, from Hickman and Rose and photographer, Andrew Wiard speaking.
You can view two films (funded by the NUJ) of the meeting (above and below) which my friend and colleague, Jason N.Parkinson, was commissioned to make.
Plus click here for info on legal support if you are an NUJ journalist covering the G20 protests over the next few days.
The Joint Select Committee on Human Rights has criticised the police today in it’s report, “Demonstrating respect for rights? A human rights approach to policing protest”, of police treatment of journalists (especially photojournalists) when covering demonstrations.
The report says,
“It is unacceptable that individual journalists are left with no option but to take court action against officers who unlawfully interfere with their work. Journalists have the right to carry out their lawful business and report the way in which demonstrations are handled by the police without state interference, unless such interference is necessary and proportionate, and journalists need to be confident that they can carry out their role. The public in turn have the right to impart and receive information: the media are the eyes and ears of the public, helping to ensure that the police are accountable to the people they serve. Effective training of front line police officers on the role of journalists in protests is vital. Police forces should consider how to ensure their officers follow the media guidelines which have been agreed between ACPO and the NUJ, and take steps to deal with officers who do not follow them.”
Good stuff but, “unless such interference is necessary and proportionate”, I have to say this part of the conclusion worries me for all the obvious reasons.
My understanding is that the National Union of Journalists will issue a statement later today on the report. One thing I will say is this, how the police treat journalists/photographers covering the G20 protests next week will be something I’m sure many of us will be watching and if need be report on in full.
Over the last few days I have been reading Lee Miller’s security file and without doubt it is fascinating stuff. You can download the full file here from The National Archives for free.
After working on an investigation about police surveillance for The Guardian, which included surveillance of photographers, I wonder how many years it will take the people in our investigation to get to see their own files?
Kent police said this week that it was wrong of them to film journalists working and the National Union of Journalists said it would like all the files of journalists destroyed.
Publication: Lead story of The Guardian, 7 March 2009, plus pages 14 and 15.
Here is a short film from my good friend and colleague Jason N.Parkinson about the mass photo taking event that took place outside New Scotland Yard last Monday. Enjoy!
Here are a few more press clipping (in no particular order) from the media event “I’m a Photographer … not a Terrorist” from early in the week. If I have missed anything good feel free to post a comment with a link.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 16.02.09. Photographers stage a mass photo taking event outside New Scotland Yard on Monday 16 February 2009 in London, England. The event, called by the National Union of Journalists, marked the enforcement date of section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 which could prevent the media and public from taking pictures of the police . (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.
Well done for the big turn out for “I’m a Photographer … not a Terrorist” media event outside New Scotland Yard yesterday. Here are a few press clipping (in no particular order) from the day. If I have missed anything good feel free to post a comment with a link. Also, it would be great if you posted a link to your pictures of the event as well.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 16.02.09. Photographers stage a mass photo taking event outside New Scotland Yard on Monday 16 February 2009 in London, England. The event, called by the National Union of Journalists, marked the enforcement date of section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 which could prevent the media and public from taking pictures of the police . (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.
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