Around 150 photographers held a mass photo shoot outside Scotland Yard in protest at a new anti-terror law.
LONDON – Tourists better think twice now before snapping pictures of the iconic British bobby. A new British anti-terrorism law went into effect Monday that could effectively bar photographers from taking pictures of police or military personnel — a move that prompted some 200 photographers to protest outside of Scotland Yard’s headquarters. Although the measure aims to prevent terrorists from taking reconnaissance shots, photographers say it could be misused at a whim to stop any pictures from being taken — especially images involving police abuse and demonstrations. “This law makes it much more difficult to photograph any kind of public demonstration or riot,” said Marc Vallee, a protester and photographer. “The police are already suspicious of photographers and this just gives them more ammunition to stop us at our work.”
Britain has come under fire in recent years for several measures that civil liberties groups say erode people’s freedoms. In 2005, another law prohibited demonstrations around Parliament.
The new act makes it a crime to “elicit, publish or communicate information” about British police or military personnel. It is legal to take photographs in any public space, but photographers complain they have been harassed by police while taking photographs near airports, government buildings or train tracks under the Terrorism Act 2000, which gives police the right to stop, search and question anyone taking photographs.
Ha! As the saying goes, If they didn’t have anything to hide, they wouldn’t mind being photographed. Here are more photos of these terrorists gleefully breaking the law…amusing stuff.
As we all know, the UK’s government is careening into becoming Big Brother. What’s really disturbing is how no one in the UK really seems to care.
What is good for the goose is not good for the gander, eh? Frakking hypocrites.
There’s little difference between “the government” wanting to be anonymous and individuals wanting to be anonymous.
Both are wrong. You may see your rights as different than the governments, and so do they. Again, the same “interests” involved.
Again, both are wrong.
What I mean to say is, the UK government has assumed the authority to unreasonable search and seizure to find weapons and confiscate them. Of course these weapons were seized not because the owners used them in any illegal way, but solely because someone felt they could be used in some illegal way.
In other words, the government said “We don’t trust the governed to make the right decisions for themselves, and so we will make those decisions for them”.
Big Brother.
Then the Government extended this “Trust us, we know more than you” to 24 hour a day surveillance.
It may not be viewscreens in the living room, but it’s way too close.
A list of freedoms lost in the UK is here.
http://tinyurl.com/c43q2t
http://tinyurl.com/bkz54z
Bit by easy to digest bit, the UK is becoming an authoritarian requime.
Awesome. Even more awesome when there is talk of Tony Blair being the first “president” of Europe. I’m sure he will want to spread the great ideas of Brittan to the rest of the world.
This is the path the US is heading to. I’m shocked it’s gotten this far in the UK.
Civil liberties don’t get taken away in big chunks but rather in small bites. It’s up to the liberals to defend what there is left of these freedoms.
Don’t leave it to the conservatives to preserve these freedoms as their philosophy has always been to turn the other cheek and salute whomever happens to be in charge.
Thomas Jefferson..
“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent”
Hitler is victorious.
Britain is still quite free….if you’re a Muslim man. This is the UK the multiculti Left wanted, and the rest of the neutered Brits let them have…I hope they enjoy it.
Wonder what the yobs will do when alcohol is made illegal (or more likely, when Sharia enforcers just chase publicans and off-licenses out of neighborhoods with arson and violence)? Don’t think it won’t, and they don’t have the balls to stop them anymore. Any attempt to turn the tide now will be met with police resistance….anyone trying to exercise their long-extinct “rights” will find they are guilty of “hate crimes”.
The Brits deserve what they get, and hopefully will be an example to the US.
You are the Government they are your representatives. Therefore there is no difference in what you and the government want (it is the same thing).
Make them sign legally binding statements (when running for office) instead of making promises and hold them to there oaths if the courts will not. If they will not do as they are commanded by the government (you) do not vote for them, and find someone to run that will.
You are the Government they are your representatives. Therefore there is no difference in what you and the government want (it is the same thing).
Make them sign legally binding statements (when running for office) instead of making promises and hold them to there oaths if the courts will not. If your representatives will not do as they are commanded by the government (you) do not vote for them, and find someone to run that will.
When most of the media bleats that this is a negative idea some drastic changes are needed…
populist |ˈpäpyələst| noun
a member or adherent of a political party seeking to represent the interests of the people.
ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from Latin populus ‘people’ + -ist .
As a US military member, and a photographer, I have to say, this law is pointless.
It’s far too late to stop, unfortunately. The courts and police have zero interest in anything but easy arrests filling in reports and appearing culturally senitive, because if they don’t there will be violence from “Asian youth”.
It’s much easier to arrest Gramps because he whacked a mugger with his umbrella than to arrest a “Muslim activist” from calling for the death of the Queen or burning his sister to death to protect his “honor”.
So Brits with spine (all 7 of the remaining) have a choice. Either fight both the mob of 8th century savages AND the full power of the State, or emigrate. Which is what I did.
Britain is dead, long live Britain!
Sigh… when are the Brits gonna get fed up and start taking their leadership out.
Samanthatheexbrit said, on February 18th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Britain is still quite free….if you’re a Muslim man. This is the UK the multiculti Left wanted, and the rest of the neutered Brits let them have…I hope they enjoy it.
How on earth can you actually type when it’s painfully apparent that you have shit for brains?
It’s good news!
That means all those privately operated cctv cameras they’ve put all over London and throughout England are now illegal and will have to be removed.
#6 Dallas
“It’s up to the liberals to defend what there is left of these freedoms.”
HAR! HAR! HAR!!
That was a good one! (Wiping tear from eye).
I’m so comforted to know freedom loving liberals Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Harry Reid, and BH Obama and all their ilk are there protecting my civil liberties!
(Where have they been the last 8 years?)
#16 Ah_Yea… Glad you agree and happy to oblige. Somebody has to watch what’s happening in the back room.
Troublemaker, you have intellectually skewered my post with evidence and personal experiences! How clever of you! You’re the new Clarence Darrow of logical reasoning.
BTW, “Troll” would take less time to type than “Troublemaker” and be more accurate.
# 6 Dallas said, “It’s up to the liberals to defend what there is left of these freedoms. ”
Umm, it is the liberals in the UK who are taking these measures…
What a biting wit! Such elegant and cogent destruction of an opponent’s argument! Here’s a hint: “Troll” is easier and quicker to type than “Troublemaker” and it’s more accurate.
It is obvious that now all media in Britain must forthwith delete any and all mentions, representations, etc. of British police and military personnel. No more Dr. Who, for example (that call box is too close to the line). No more war movies, and certainly no more crime dramas. The newspapers will be able to save millions on ink and paper by not printing stories and especially photos concerning law enforcement and military matters. Telephone directories will now be that much lighter, saving more millions by no longer listing the local constabulary or its members. All military and police will have to become unpersons. I won’t even go into the list of proscribed words.
And what about the Beefeaters? Will it now be illegal to photograph the changing of the guard? Will we have to change the name of the element Copper?
I had always hoped to visit Great Britain some day. Now I feel that if I ever do go, I will have to go about in manacles and leg irons, with a blindfold and a big rectangle of black tape across my mouth, wearing black and white striped clothing, including a skullcap.
They’ve kept member of Dutch Parliament Geert Wilders form entering the country, so I’m not too surprised.
Another sad day in the UK.
Sounds like the conservative Tories will have to brought in to clean up this liberal made mess…