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02/12/2009 11:47:22 AM · #1 |
London What a fun place to visit these days. More CCTV cameras than I've ever seen, on every corner, spare piece of ceiling, train car and doorway. Police with the stated job of stopping photographers and questioning them, 'just to let people be aware that they shouldn't be taking pictures'
Got stopped and searched for taking a picture of the London eye in a 'suspicious way' according to the pair that questioned me. Apparently standing in the middle of all the other tourists with cameras and using a point and shoot camera is suspicious behaviour now. Got to have a nice few minutes chat, questioned about what I was doing, details taken down, images on the camera searched and comments like 'yeah that's just the sort of pictures a terrorist would take' from the person looking (this was to a full frame shot of the Houses of Parliament from the top of the London eye.
Lovely country. |
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02/12/2009 11:53:41 AM · #2 |
yep, it has happened to me 4 times now. fed up with it!
The funny bit came when he said "wheres that surname from?"
"its persian"
"What Iran?"
"No Afghanistan"
"Oh really! do you mind if you open your bag please Sir?" |
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02/12/2009 11:55:07 AM · #3 |
the police in this country DO NOT have any power to look at what images you have taken, unless they quote the 'anti terrorisim law' to you!
in which case they have to be pretty sure you are a terrorist and actually arrest you.
in this situation YOU are NOT allowed to to touch your camera, in case you delete evidence.
sorry for your bad experience over here!
there is a shocking lack of understanding of this law by our own police officers!
i have never been stopped by the police yet, but there is always stuff like this being reported.
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02/12/2009 11:57:45 AM · #4 |
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02/12/2009 12:00:42 PM · #5 |
Interesting. I'm trying to decide what to put on the back of my Moo cards. I think "I am not a terrorist" might end up being included after all. Perhaps "I am a little old lady. I am not a terrorist. I take pictures because I enjoy it. Now leave me alone."
Nah. Probably too wordy. |
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02/12/2009 12:16:06 PM · #6 |
Message edited by author 2009-02-12 12:16:37. |
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02/12/2009 01:54:00 PM · #7 |
Yeah, I'm sure that particular handout goes down really well. |
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02/12/2009 01:55:38 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by dainmcgowan:
the police in this country DO NOT have any power to look at what images you have taken, unless they quote the 'anti terrorisim law' to you!
in which case they have to be pretty sure you are a terrorist and actually arrest you.
in this situation YOU are NOT allowed to to touch your camera, in case you delete evidence.
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Yup, the stop/ search was supposedly under the S44 of the anti-terrorism law. Though they also said 'we don't think you are a terrorist, but we are doing it to raise awareness and show we are doing something about it'
Bunch of nonsense and given they said they didn't have any cause, probably illegal somewhere along the line too. |
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02/12/2009 03:04:11 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by Gordon:
Originally posted by dainmcgowan:
the police in this country DO NOT have any power to look at what images you have taken, unless they quote the 'anti terrorisim law' to you!
in which case they have to be pretty sure you are a terrorist and actually arrest you.
in this situation YOU are NOT allowed to to touch your camera, in case you delete evidence.
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Yup, the stop/ search was supposedly under the S44 of the anti-terrorism law. Though they also said 'we don't think you are a terrorist, but we are doing it to raise awareness and show we are doing something about it'
Bunch of nonsense and given they said they didn't have any cause, probably illegal somewhere along the line too. |
I can't believe they said, "we don't believe you are a terrorist", not being a lawyer I can't comment properly, but it would strike me that if that is the case they can't justifiably stop search you under the terrorism act!
I would file an official complaint, I firmly believe that the police are abusing the law and something needs to be done about it! |
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02/12/2009 03:10:45 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Gordon:
Originally posted by dainmcgowan:
the police in this country DO NOT have any power to look at what images you have taken, unless they quote the 'anti terrorisim law' to you!
in which case they have to be pretty sure you are a terrorist and actually arrest you.
in this situation YOU are NOT allowed to to touch your camera, in case you delete evidence.
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Yup, the stop/ search was supposedly under the S44 of the anti-terrorism law. Though they also said 'we don't think you are a terrorist, but we are doing it to raise awareness and show we are doing something about it'
Bunch of nonsense and given they said they didn't have any cause, probably illegal somewhere along the line too. |
Maybe it's your accent ... actually, I would have thought it more likely for you to have run into this problem in Texas. ;-) |
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02/12/2009 07:26:26 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by relent:
I can't believe they said, "we don't believe you are a terrorist", not being a lawyer I can't comment properly, but it would strike me that if that is the case they can't justifiably stop search you under the terrorism act!
I would file an official complaint, I firmly believe that the police are abusing the law and something needs to be done about it! |
Yes, that bit surprised me too. I'd probably have made more of a comment about it, if I wasn't on the last day of my holiday and not really feeling like spending the day in a police station |
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02/12/2009 07:58:32 PM · #12 |
| God doesnt it make you want to do a massive photo shoot there |
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02/12/2009 09:26:45 PM · #13 |
What's really lame about all this harassment, no matter where it happens, is that it does absolutely do good whatsoever. Do they honestly believe that terrorists need photos of a place before they can blow it up?
I don't know which is scarier, the terrorists or the idiots we have to protect us from them.
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02/13/2009 09:05:53 AM · #14 |
Originally posted by JulietNN:
God doesnt it make you want to do a massive photo shoot there |
I think there is supposed to be some sort of mass photo shoot thing happening this week to protest the next round of police powers, to ban them being photographed.
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02/13/2009 10:15:59 AM · #15 |
Originally posted by Gordon:
Originally posted by JulietNN:
God doesnt it make you want to do a massive photo shoot there |
I think there is supposed to be some sort of mass photo shoot thing happening this week to protest the next round of police powers, to ban them being photographed. |
Yes there is.  Ralph posted a link to the story earlier in this thread: Pap the Police |
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02/16/2009 08:06:42 AM · #16 |
i was stopped in London yesterday, by a security guard.
he told me 'we don't allow those kind of cameras on this estate'
i don't know if the estate are anti canon or 40D or all SLRs??
being on private property (with no fences to seperate from public right of way mind), i couldn't argue.
i asked if i could have 5 mins, and he said yes! I got my shot and left!!
this is typical of my experiences in London.
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02/16/2009 08:38:28 AM · #17 |
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02/16/2009 11:01:13 AM · #18 |
Found this interesting until I saw it was a Mark Thomas article. The guy is a complete tit, I met him once and whilst he is happy to spout his rhetoric to all and sundry, once you try to scratch the surface and argue a point he clams up and cant really expand on certain areas. (I met him once when he organised a mass `lay down` outside the CAA offices where I worked in London many years back - his sycophantic followers are even worse, half of them didnt even know why they was doing what they was doing - most just wanted to be `on the telly`..)
People may print out and carry that card, but about 0.00001% would actually do what it says on there. Thats the problem with being terribly British, we'll moan about it, but generally do f**k all about it.
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