UK Civil Liberties: RIP

[Clippy]

Beyond a joke now.

[bogeyman]

I used to work part-time as a jobbing junior press photog for the newly-launched Indepenent in the 1980s to earn a bit of cash while studying at uni.

I covered the Salman Rushdie demo in Hyde Park. Radical Islam on the streets was a new phenomenon then, and bloody scary.

As for the press: The old lags and staffers stood off from the crowd with long lenses, but ordered the troops (me and other junior photojournalists) into the fray with wide angle lenses and cries of "get in their faces!".

The coppers were bouncing out of vans dressed up like something from Starwars - grunting and shouting, and mad for beating someone up.

I got an inside half-page shot in the Indie. The other photogs and journos dragged me to the pub - we got pissed and laughed. The next day, through my hangover, I realised the press was shyte and I wanted no part of it.

[expat]

I used to work part-time as a jobbing junior press photog for the newly-launched Indepenent in the 1980s to earn a bit of cash while studying at uni.

I covered the Salman Rushdie demo in Hyde Park. Radical Islam on the streets was a new phenomenon then, and bloody scary.

As for the press: The old lags and staffers stood off from the crowd with long lenses, but ordered the troops (me and other junior photojournalists) into the fray with wide angle lenses and cries of "get in their faces!".

The coppers were bouncing out of vans dressed up like something from Starwars - grunting and shouting, and mad for beating someone up.

I got an inside half-page shot in the Indie. The other photogs and journos dragged me to the pub - we got pissed and laughed. The next day, through my hangover, I realised the press was shyte and I wanted no part of it.

"If your pictures aren't good enough, you weren't close enough". Yeah. Like I said to my daughter, do it (try taking pictures for a living) if you're really driven to. But if you just like taking pictures, and you want to enjoy going round to interesting places taking good ones on nice equipment and enjoying it -- keep the day job, be an amateur.

Bravo, though. Bravo.

I worry about the seemingly total disappearance (largely unlamented, what gives?) of liberty in this country, the very place that invented it. Current hero: Labour MP Austin Mitchell, amateur photographer and northern Old Labour politico, i.e. not my type but neither stupid nor anybody's lapdog; leader of the voices saying that taking photographs is a normal activity prectised by many an honest citizen. I keep a clipping of his private member's bill in my camera bag.

[Pondlife]

I'm just waiting to see all those American tourists arrested for photographing the changing of the guards or having their photo taken with some guard in a bearskin.

I feel much safer now though.

[swamp]

It's strictly only for anti-terror purposes.

Like Iceland

[KentPhilip]

It's strictly only for anti-terror purposes.

Like Iceland

I love your cat. Looks cute but evil at the same time

[TykeMerc]

Completely comical and of course absurdly easy for the Police to exploit if they are inclined.

[SantaClaus]

I guess that puts an end to photographing police kicking in innocent bystanders then

[Board Game Geek]

Are the Police immune from this legislation ?

I was just wondering, if in the course of their duties,, they took pictures containing "armed forces, intelligence services and police officers".

Would they themselves be breaking the law ?

[BrilloPad]

Its been beyond a joke for a long while. And it will get worse.