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View Full Version : British Photographer Arrested for "antisocial behaviour".



AcadieLibre
02-22-2010, 10:12 PM
Amateur British photographer is arrested for "antisocial behaviour". He films the whole incident, so glad I do not live in Britain these acts of harassment seem to be on the rise everywhere but no more so then Britain where the Government has cameras and films people all the time but if your a photographer I would be arrested on a frequent basis because I would not be willing to have my rights robbed from me. This just seems to be getting out of hand, worth watching. And WTG to the photographer for standing up for his rights.

Photographer films his own 'anti-terror' arrest | UK news | The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/21/photographer-films-anti-terror-arrest)

Bambi
02-22-2010, 10:22 PM
Good heavens this is rediculous!! these anti-terror laws terrify me!

Greg_Nuspel
02-22-2010, 11:44 PM
I wonder if I would get arrested there taking tourist photos? I think England may suffer a drop in tourism if this keeps up.

Iguanasan
02-22-2010, 11:49 PM
And the really sad thing is that this is far from the first occurrence and will likely not be the last. Not sure I'd want to go to jail for this but kudos to him for standing up for his rights.

Marko
02-23-2010, 11:00 AM
AND KUDOS to A.L. for sharing this..... and so I am sharing it with others as well.

I facebooked it on my personal page, the ph.ca fan page and i tweeted this.

Could you even IMAGINE what would have happened to this guy had he looked LESS white and tried to protect his rights?
He could have been jailed indefinitely.

This video REALLY made me angry.

F8&Bthere
02-23-2010, 02:00 PM
Others may disagree, but I think this kind of thing could happen anywhere, including USA and Canada. Which is why it makes me laugh when people talk about our land of freedom and democracy.

What I see in this video is an abuse of authority that boils down to petty emotions of an idiot police officer that felt like her authority was being challenged, and should have used some discretion and just walked away.

Marko mentions imagine if he was of colour. But in fact I think that would have helped him actually since the white officer would have been more aware of the potential racism/harassment issue. This is afterall, the world of extreme political correctness.

Just imagine a little old lady with a point'n'shoot doing the exact same things as this fellow did (deemed to be antisocial). Wouldn't have even been noticed. I think the fact he was male, with a male friend, and probably looked like more than just the average tourist as a result of that and having (I'm assuming) a big DLSR, he attracted attention and it only became "anti-social" when he refused to give the officer his name and address.

Pisses me right off.

P.S. The reason I think gender can play some role in situations like this is when one tries to think of all the things that can be immoral, illegal, or insidious about taking pictures (terrorism, espionage, perversion, etc) I think more of them would normally lead to suspicion of men over women.

Iguanasan
02-23-2010, 02:06 PM
Oh, it has and it does happen here. I point to my short little story as evidence: http://www.photography.ca/Forums/f15/run-police-3041.html

I was polite and quite forthcoming with my information rather than taking the high road our Brit. friend did so I got off easy knowing, however, that there is now a file somewhere with my name in it :(

Marko
02-23-2010, 02:16 PM
Others may disagree, but I think this kind of thing could happen anywhere, including USA and Canada. Which is why it makes me laugh when people talk about our land of freedom and democracy.

Very very true - though more likely in the USA than Canada imo.


Marko mentions imagine if he was of colour. But in fact I think that would have helped him actually since the white officer would have been more aware of the potential racism/harassment issue. This is afterall, the world of extreme political correctness.

This I disagree with. 'Homeland security' trumps political correctness in this day and age.

We are going back quite a few years...but i was randomly stopped, searched and released at a US border crossing once. In the area where others were waiting for their searches was a sea of 'minority looking' faces.

Bambi
02-23-2010, 02:27 PM
I travel frequently by air for work (my 'extra' job not my pay-the-bills-job). My last name is hyphenated with a Lebanese name ('cause my husband is of Lebanese heritage). I am 'randomly' selected to be searched on over 50% of my flights. Which seems to be high number for 'random'. I now factor it into my travel schedule.

Once an agent yelled out my husbands last name and said 'where's _____'. I put up my hand and she said, you have been randomly selected for a search.

yeah right.

F8&Bthere
02-23-2010, 02:30 PM
... This I disagree with. 'Homeland security' trumps political correctness in this day and age.


Yes, probably true, but I've read about documented scenarios in UK and North America where minorities are getting away with things that others would more than likely be detained or prosecuted for...such as goings on during rallies or protests, flag burnings, etc. So yes, homeland security may trump political correctness, but certainly not eliminate it's influence in the dynamics of such situations. If it did, the term racial profiling wouldn't exist and little old ladies wouldn't have to take their shoes off at airport security.

Edit- just since it seems I didn't express this correctly, I'm not saying racial profiling, homeland security, discrimination don't exist, of course they do. Note the word "If" in the sentence above. I'm saying that political correctness to the point of reverse discrimination also exists. And sorry, but it is on topic the way any thread is conversation it can ebb and flow in diff directions. It's not like I started discussing ebola monkey virus or something.

AcadieLibre
02-23-2010, 04:22 PM
Yes, probably true, but I've read about documented scenarios in UK and North America where minorities are getting away with things that others would more than likely be detained or prosecuted for...such as goings on during rallies or protests, flag burnings, etc. So yes, homeland security may trump political correctness, but certainly not eliminate it's influence in the dynamics of such situations. If it did, the term racial profiling wouldn't exist and little old ladies wouldn't have to take their shoes off at airport security.

I am lost at what you are talking about, racial profiling in N.A. is a huge issue and minorities are far more likely to be, stopped, harassed and jailed, then the little old white lady who has to do what everyone else at the airport does. How many little old white ladies are pulled over for secondary inspections at airports compared to those who fit certain racial stereotypes? Racial minorities getting away with more, that is just a joke right? Anyway we should just stick to the issue of the post and photographers of any race being harassed. It is about a photographer who stood up for his rights, not about race. Keep on topic.

F8&Bthere
02-23-2010, 06:05 PM
Marko's post I quote:

Could you even IMAGINE what would have happened to this guy had he looked LESS white and tried to protect his rights?
He could have been jailed indefinitely.
I was just questioning that, in a way, to say maybe or maybe not.
But as I do far too often, I probably didn't word my thoughts properly, should have known better.
Still AL you are putting way too many words in my mouth... re-read my post.
As for the off-topic part... sorry?

AcadieLibre
02-24-2010, 12:35 AM
Well FB we will just leave it at that, not going to debate it and just here for the photography aspect of the site and things that pertain to photography, outside of course outside the Off Topic Forum.

I had thought I had also posted this link to a similar situation with some slight differences but where the British Police overstep their boundaries and use scare tactics and Terror laws to harass and abuse photographers. I know this happens outside of Britain and try will and post any of these that I come across. Here is another one.


'You're filming for fun? I don't believe you' | UK news | guardian.co.uk (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2009/dec/15/police-terrorism)

Marko
02-24-2010, 11:07 AM
Threads go off-topic all the time A.L....your response to F8 seems a bit abrupt. We are all only trying to share opinions and experiences...
This one was probably MY fault anyway fro bringing race into the picture.
In F8's defense, I know exactly what he is talking about..sometimes minorities do get special treatment to their benefit based on race alone. I just don't think it applies or would apply in this particular case.

I do recall that second link A.L. and both of them from The U.K. Hmmmm.
IMO - this might be a pure policy issue (having cops harass the occasional photographer in a public place). PERHAPS they feel that if the public sees cops checking people out (and arresting them) the public will feel safer. I don't know. What I do know is that I was bloody mad when I watched that video yesterday.

Thx - M

F8&Bthere
02-24-2010, 12:01 PM
...and I probably should have added to my post to tie it all together, clarify, and get back to the original topic, that in the case of this photographer, the fact that he was white, male, middle/upper class in the UK didn't spare him from being harassed by police, as in no preferential treatment here.


Marko: IMO - this might be a pure policy issue (having cops harass the occasional photographer in a public place). PERHAPS they feel that if the public sees cops checking people out (and arresting them) the public will feel safer.

I'll watch the 2nd one later, but that 1st one that started this thread, to me, just seemed to be a random situation that developed when a photographer attracted attention, wrong place/wrong time, and a cop a bit high on authority and low on judgement asked for some info, and as soon as the guy "resisted" authority, it all went to hell in a handbasket from there.

Iguanasan
02-24-2010, 01:23 PM
Just watched the 2nd one. It's atrocious. Honestly, I don't know what goes on in their brains that they think they have to do this.

I can't find it now but I saw another video of two guys out shooting and one of them was shooting a building and the security guard just about lost his mind and then the police were soon to follow.

FOUND IT! Here it is: Video: A few photographs add up to a minor terror alert | UK news | guardian.co.uk (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2009/dec/11/photographs-police-anti-terrorism-laws)

The funny thing is, I bet you can find quality images on Google Maps!