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.

“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.

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!

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

Olly Zanetti‘s excellent Comment is free in the Guardian on the Greek Embassy win.

Link to PDF.

“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

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

The Hostile Reconnaissance rally is tonight! Very much looking forward to it. I will be speaking along side 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.

Click here for more information.

“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.

BOLTON, UNITED KINGDOM – 20.03.10. An anti-fascist campaigner is arrested as the far right English Defence League congregate in Bolton on Saturday 10 March 2010 in Lancashire, England. Police in full riot gear used the controversial tactic of ‘kettling’ along with dogs, horses and riot police snatch squads to control the demonstration organised by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) in Victoria Square. Police made dozens of arrests, including UAF organiser Weyman Bennett. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2010.

Link: Click here to view more pictures.

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

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.

“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.