This is a subject that I had mentioned before on a previous post "You Can't Picture This" but due to it's high volatile subject I could not leave it with only one post and decided to mention this subject again so that you all could stay alert, just in case this would start to become too popular.This security officer in the UK gets handsy with a photographer on a public street in Middlesbrough. From the photographer’s account:
"Two security guards from the nearby shopping center THE MALL came running over, we were surrounded by six hostile and aggressive security guards. They then said photographing shops was illegal and this was private land. I was angry at being grabbed by this man so i pushed him away, one of the men wearing a BARGAIN MADNESS shirt twisted my arm violently behind my back, i winced in pain and could hardly breathe in agony."
You can read the all story here.
More on this after the bump...
But that's not all... check out this video by Film-maker Darren Pollard. He was clearing up flood rubbish from his front garden when he noticed the police and a teenager opposite his house. Darren retrieved his camera and this is what he filmed!
More of Darren Pollards films & documentaries can be seen here.
Paula Bronstein was doing her JOB as an accredited APEC photographer and just check out what happens... and this could happen to anyone.
And don't you think it's only in the UK just take a look at a recent video footage from the Olympics 2008.
Arlington County,Virginia "While waiting for a scheduled military fly-over" March 6, 2008 3:20pm Key Blvd @ Adams st.
Last but not least...
Simon from "We Are Change UK" gets arrested for demonstrating within the SOCPA Zone in London.
If you got similar videos caught around your town feel free to post them on the comments so that everyone could share them.
Some Flickr discussion groups post their Anti Photographer Aggression and Mugged in The Street.
Where would the world end up??
4 comments:
Very scary! I have a feeling things are worse here in the USA. With that passage of the Patriot Act and the Department of Homeland Security our rights can be suspended at any time under the guise of terrorism.
Makes me want to think about relocating.
I've been following this issue for the last year or so but a couple of these videos are still new to me. Thanks for posting them. The ignorance and attitude of the police was particularly sickening in that one by Darren Pollard.
The last video though has nothing to do with freedom to photograph or video. While I agree with the subject's view, that freedom to demonstrate is being eroded in the UK, he was actually breaking the current law. The person filming was not given any trouble by the police.
Seems like overblown hype.
None of these so-called artists are producing real art. In fact, they seem to be confrontational just to hear themselves talk.
As a photographer myself, I don't want the police or security officers to overstep their powers and stop me excercising my right to photograph. But equally, I don't want to give photographers a bad name either. So a little bit of co-operation might have prevented the situation escalating as it did.
The video footage needs to be seen in the context of the newspaper article (which you link to) which gives a much fuller description of what was happening at the time. I don't think the photographer was helping himself either - discussion on both parts (photographer and security oficer)could have resolved the matter much more amicably.
Apart from developing technical and creative ability, it's worth while developing inter personal skills too. You don't have to be aggresive or confrontational to be assertive.
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