Photographers gather to protest public photography restrictions
Image © Olivier Laurent.
More than 40 photographers assembled in front of London's City Hall today to protest photography restrictions imposed in semi-public places around the country
Author: Olivier Laurent
03 May 2011 Tags: Street rights
Organised by the I'm a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! campaign group, the peaceful protest took place on World Press Freedom Day to highlight photographers' concerns over the "role of private security guards in the prevention of terrorism."
Increasingly, amateur and professional photographers are being prevented by privately employed security guards from taking pictures in public places and semi-public places.
The organisers chose to protest in front of London's City Hall because it is located in a privately-managed space, even though it is designated as "public realm." PHNAT says that these spaces "are subject to rules laid down by the private management companies. Most insidious of these is the outright banning of photography in some of our most widely enjoyed public spaces, such as Canary Wharf and the Thames Walk between Tower Bridge and City Hall."
The participating photographers delivered a letter to London's mayor Boris Johnson. It reads:
Dear Mr Johnson
Today is World Press Freedom Day, photographers from all over the city have come to City Hall to express their frustration at the behaviour of private security guards.
The event has been organised by the campaign group, I'm a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! (PHNAT), which was set up to fight unnecessary and draconian restrictions against individuals taking photographs in public spaces.
PHNAT is concerned about the role of private security guards in the prevention of terrorism. Their role has been promoted by police, with the result that many privately employed guards are illegally preventing citizens from taking any photographs at all.
Areas designated as public realm are often privately managed spaces that are subject to rules laid down by the private management companies. Most insidious of these is the outright banning of photography in some of our most widely enjoyed public spaces, such as Canary Wharf and the Thames Walk between Tower Bridge and City Hall.
We are bringing this issue to the attention of the general public to highlight the creeping restrictions to press freedom and the right of the citizen to photograph in a public place.
Yours Sincerely
Concerned photographers
Speaking to BJP in a video interview, Marc Vallée, a documentary photographer and co-organiser of the event, says that photographers have a legal right to take picutres in public places. Watch:
Despite a recent review of anti-terrorism powers conducted by the Home Office late last year and earlier this year, photographers fear that with the coming 2012 Olympic Games, as well as with recent geopolitical events, police officers and security guards will clamp down on photography in public places.
BJP understands that the PHNAT campaign group is planning additional events for the coming weeks and months.
For more information, visit photographernotaterrorist.org.
Comments
Who is kidding who-a terrorist is a smart cookie,is he going to stand in front of famous buildings pointing his latest thousand pound+camera.Of course not,he'd use a compact,be with his wife a children and fade into the crowd.
Anyway they are already building extra prisons up and down the country to lock up everyone with a camera that enters the country for the Olympics.
Wake up Britain and get your priorities in order-leave the photographer alone,he's not a terrorist and never has been...
Leave that work to the guys and gals on the banks of the Thames at MI5-6 to clarify that.
Keep snapping guys...
H (ex-Fleet St)
The funny thing is that in the MORE LONDON area, you can shoot professionally but need a permit. And guess what? The permit cost starts at £150 per hour. You have to apply at least a week in advance of your shoot and have to complete association paperwork, an application and provide a copy of your public liability insurance. So the reason of terrorism is nonsense, it really just another way to squeeze money out of Londoners.
Terrorism ? my arz, as Leon says, its only about revenue.
...oh hang on..BREAKING NEWS...
Rooters reports..Security forces raided Bin Ladens basement and found 100's of boxes of brand new Canon 1dMk3's, old IS 70-200's and bin bags full of un-used w***nka jackets ! :)
Sort it out Boris !
Who are you voting for over there? Your government seems hellbent on recking the joint.
They tried that here in Sydney with firstly the Olympics and then the APEC Summit.
But some careful targeted campaigning in some marginal seats soon got the message across.
You need to get these moves stymied before they are law, not after the house has bolted.
The entire thrust of the campaign is misguided, because the ordinary camera-wielding citizen is hardly affected at all by the present persecution of the photojournalist and street photographer.
Droves of tourists go about their business every day, and hundreds of thousands of teenies snap one another (and you) on their mobiles in public places.
Unless someone complains to the police (that they imagine you a predatory paedophile with a camera) you get left alone.
But, if you are recognizeably attached to a newspaper or an agency you do get picked on, as always, if your organization has criticized the police (or the Major- you is all well thick!)
The police all know perfectly well that we are absolutely harmless , but they just do not like being photographed doing something they should not be doing, and will use ANY law they can to harm you, get it??
Are you body searched when you photograph the PM in number 10?
Or when you photograph a political conference, or members of the royal family? No.
So why not actually be just a tad constructive and point out to the public, and the police, that the police are NOT doing anything whatever at all to stop terrorism.
They certainly are not searching airline crew or bodyguards, or us, so there is no attempt to use police powers to protect the public in this way.
Logically it is only a matter of time before someone with a press card etc and equipment attempts an assassination- nothing at present could be easier- you just hide a gun inside a lens, or disguise a bomb as one. Kennedy?
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