journalist
In August of last year I covered Climate Camp at Kingsnorth Power Station. There was a massive policing operation involving officers drawn from forces all over the country.
The media were filmed and searched entering and leaving the field where the protest camp was.
On one occasion after photographing a rather brutal arrest of protesters who had been filming the police we were detained for over an hour. We were then followed to a restaurant several miles away and were filmed through the window by the police Forward Intelligence Team.
On that particular day I was stopped and searched three times and detained for over two hours.
This is a copy of the letter of apology I received from the police.
Here is the NUJ statement here
See related Guardian article here and on Climate Camp here
See Climate Camp web gallery here
Thanks to Bindmans Solicitors and the NUJ for their help and support.
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Climate Camp,
Climate Change,
FIT,
FIT Watch,
Forward Intelligence Team,
journalist,
Kent,
media,
NUJ,
police,
policing,
protest,
protesting,
surveillance
Not that I am paranoid or anything but I found this man fitting a CCTV camera outside my front door..
Guardian speaks to Jess Hurd and Jason Parkinson about surveillance here
Police target journalists, Guardian video here
Politicised prying, Guardian article here
Police Apology, Guardian article here
Saturday, March 7th, 2009 at 1:11 am
Seeing as the police don’t seem to recognise the legitimacy of press card these days. We thought we would make our status clear with our own badge..
We have seen artists arrested under the terrorism legislation.
A local historian stopped and searched for photographing a plaque on a bench.
I was also detained by police in the London Docklands before Christmas whilst covering a traveller wedding and accused of doing ‘hostile reconnaissance’. Read the Guardian and other related articles here
Enough is Enough.
Monday 16th February 2009 will see the enforcement of Section 76 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008. As the British Journal of Photography (BJP) wrote last month,
“The relationship between photographers and police could worsen next month when new laws are introduced that allow for the arrest – and imprisonment – of anyone who takes pictures of officers ‘likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism’.”
Read the full BJP article
here.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has teamed up with Mark Thomas (writer, broadcaster, comic and political activist), Chris Atkins (the BAFTA nominated director and writer of the feature film documentary Taking Liberties), and many more for a “media event” outside New Scotland Yard on Monday 16 February 2009. The plan is simple, turn up with your camera and exercise your democratic right to take a photograph in a public place.
More info about the background to this “media event” visit the NUJ here
Please note: This is NOT a Protest!
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
badge,
BJP,
Counter-Terrorism Act 2008,
journalist,
Mark Thomas,
New Scotland Yard,
Photographer,
Prevention of Terrorism Act,
Section 76,
terrorism,
terrorist
Eamonn McCann Derry journalist and political activist speaks at a Haldane Society meeting about the Raytheon 9 victory and Political Protest in Northern Ireland. The College of Law. London.
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 at 11:44 am
