Mastermind and the road to Damascus

[John Wilson]

2009/2/24 ken <k.brown@bbk.ac.uk>:
> Roland Perry wrote:
>
>> Do you mean "not being in the vicinity to take the pictures"?
>
> Sorry, I meant "able to" take the pictures.
>
> I have seen with my own eyes the police grab cameras off people at
> demonstrations, and try to prevent photographs being taken. I have also h=
ad
> a policewoman ask me - politely - =A0not to take photographs of Waterloo
> Station. All before any law was passed. This just legitimises that sort o=
f
> behaviour.


Waterloo station is private property so you have no general right to
take photographs. I understand that Network Rail allow photographs to
be taken on their stations as long as the image does not include
security equipment (whatever that is). Many Police officers and most
security staff have no clear idea of the law as it applies to
photography.

I can't speak to what you have seem on demonstrations - with some
rather odd exceptions (e.g. Trafalgar Square) it is legal to take
photographs of anything (other than things covered by the voyeurism
laws) as long as you are standing in a public place. Of course, a
camera could be considered as an offensive weapon in some situations!

Officers of the Met had recently tried to confiscate cameras from
professional photographers at demonstrations. In these cases the Met
has apologised and confirmed the right to take photographs. Of course
the photographer missed shots because of the confrontation. The fear
is that this new law (or clarification of an existing law of you
prefer) is likely to make these situations more frequent and the
apologies stop.

John Wison