Posted on 02/16/2009 4:53:12 PM PST by blueplum
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.
[snip]
Marc Vallee, a photographer who specializes in photographing protests and gatherings, said police often see photographers as a nuisance to get out of the way. "The press is seen as an annoyance and under the terrorism acts they (the police) can deal with that," he said.
The new act makes it a crime to "elicit, publish or communicate information" about British police or military personnel.
Britain's Home Office said in a statement that the law is designed to protect police officers on counterterrorism operations. In many cases, officers could allow photographers to keep taking pictures. In other cases, they could ask them to stop or threaten them with arrest.
Photographers who refuse to stop taking pictures after a warning face arrest, up to 10 years in prison or unspecified fines.
It is legal to take photographs in any public space, but...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I misread the title...oh, well...:-)
About the same as we’ll have in a few years.
What date will they carve on formerly great Britain’s tombstone, as the year of its death?
No foolin’. Those poor jerks aren’t the least bit free anymore.
You see they learned the lessons of the BART shooting, no video and the cops can tell any lie that want to and the bootlicking sheeple will swallow it hook, line, and sinker. He was “resisting” or they saw something “flashy” are always good stories right??
can’t carve anything - knives outlawed ...maybe British blood one day ....
Well, then let me be the first to break their silly law: British cops are UNARMED!!!! There, now come prosecute me you jerks.
I’ve read that the average person in London is on 14 cameras a day. Essentially from the time they leave their home until they get to work and back.
I also noticed how they don’t stop the terrorists from coming in.
http://bp1.blogger.com/_hUNUzlLVigM/RbJE8VXcXKI/AAAAAAAAADc/hJCsaunPHjs/s1600-h/picx.jpg
Warning - Link may not be safe for work.
My son was in London two years ago and was questioned by the police and then given a citation because he stopped to watch a police dog at work. He was curious to see a well trained dog. The dog was scenting automobiles. He had no idea that it was against the law to watch police officers at work.
And yet I bet its ok to publish state secrets, as long as they weaken the west.
I was in NI in 1993, on business, before the ceaseire. On a day off, I walked around the town, as a tourist, with my camera. Evidently, I had snapped a photo of a British soldier, which was a no-no, in Derry.
I spent the next six hours in a very small room with a non-stop parade of police and military types until they were satisfied that I was just a stupid American on his first trip to N. Ireland......
I never got the camera back.
“He had no idea that it was against the law to watch police officers at work.”
No surprise, england is done. The only people they can control are the law abiding. Oh and Grandmas.
what are you supposed to do when you see a cop? Bow your head and step away backwards?
If they stopped wearing those dorky hats, tourist would stop taking their picture.
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