According to a report in Times Online, instances of police officers in the UK searching photographers and forcing them to delete photos of government buildings, tourist landmarks and iconic shopping places have been increasing.
Last week alone both Jeff Overs, a BBC photojournalist, and Jerome Taylor, a professional photographer, were hassled for plying their trade near iconic places. Overs was stopped for taking pictures of St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Taylor, who was stopped while shooting the House of Commons, had this to say about the incident:
“I was questioned about my evening and asked to give my height, name, address and ethnicity — all of which were recorded on a form that will now be held at the nearest police station for the next year.”
England’s Terrorism Act of 2000 allows police to stop and search anyone who snaps a photo if it is considered “expedient for the prevention of acts of terrorism.” But that can be a slippery slope.
From Times Online:
Protest groups have sprung up since the revelations, the latest being I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist. Editorial Photographers UK, a lobbying group, has long been critical of police behaviour towards professional photographers and claims police have set up a database of photographers who take pictures at protests and other events. At a recent conference, nearly 200 photographers berated Bob Broadhurst, a Metropolitan police commander, over the treatment of photographers at public events. Stuart Franklin, who took the famous “tank man” photo of the 1989 protest in Tiananmen Square, said police were labelling photographers as criminals. Franklin was stopped earlier this year for taking photos in Regent’s Park, central London.
[Via: Times Online]
What about regular tourists ? Are they questioned also for taking pics of Big Ben ?