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SF Muni to Halt Harassment Very Soon

Published August 8, 2009 Harassment , Photographers' Rights 1 Comment
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It seems the San Francisco Muni, the city’s transportation agency, is finally being forced to publicize its policy regarding photography. After several incidents where passengers have been harassed by drivers and fare inspectors, including this disturbing one involving a  high school student (yes, the inspector actually says the Muni is private property), SF Appeal asked an MTA spokesperson for answers. The spokesperson said a policy is forthcoming (“soon”), while allowing that it will say non-commercial photography is allowed as long as it doesn’t disturb transit. 

Muni inspectors in the meantime are being re-trained on how to deal (or not deal, as the case may be) with photographers. Rather smartly, the Appeal asked the spokesperson what one should do if they are harassed by a Muni staffer.  

His answer: “Ask to speak to their supervisor. If that doesn’t work, call 311 and file a complaint with all the details.”

Article from SF Appeal via Streetsblog San Francisco

NPRO Rally: Free State vs. Police State

Published June 9, 2009 Harassment , Photographers' Rights , Police Harassment , Protests , Rally , Security Guard Harassment Leave a Comment
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Here’s the second installment of a series of our NPRO Rally videos that will be posted throughout the week, culminating on Friday with a recap of the whole weekend rally. 

As you see, this encounter at the Port of Long Beach was drama-free. The Harbor Patrol were friendly and civil and took the appropriate tone, as opposed to many law enforcement officers who see a camera and immediately get suspicious, aggressive and condescending. The main officer seen here is probably an amiable guy in general, but I think he was also playing the game differently, being funny and congenial and conciliatory in order to get the same information they all want – names, addresses, social security numbers. I called him on this and he played it off like I was crazy to even suggest a thing – who me?! He must have thought he was being pretty clever asking where we were parked (“Do you guys have a car or something?”), assuming he would ID us through our license plates. He knew that when you’re not breaking any laws you can refuse to identify yourself – as we did.

So, it was fine enough, but a few things still bothered me. 1) The call the refinery security guard put out after speaking with us was that it was a physical altercation, and that’s just a complete fabrication. How did this conversation get blown into a physical altercation, necessitating the need for four patrol cars? And 2) The female officer at the end of the video said we should have informed them of our plans to shoot at the port, framing it as a “common courtesy.” 

Yes, sure. We could also notify the police when we’re going grocery shopping and jogging in the park. That’s what you do in a police state.

Photographers’ Rights Rally Weekend 2009

Published June 3, 2009 Harassment , Photographers' Rights , Photojournalism , Police Harassment , Protests , Rally , Security Guard Harassment 7 Comments
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It’s been a year since we held our first National Photographers’ Rights Organization (NPRO) rally in Los Angeles, and a lot has happened since then. Over the past 12 months, hundreds of us have been harassed by security guards and law enforcement for practicing a perfectly legal activity while in public. Some of us have even witnessed or personally experienced an unlawful arrest by an out-of-control cop. But with the help of our cameras, the grassroots mobilization of the internet and our lobbying of companies and public officials, we have stood up to this abuse and forced change.

For instance, Amtrak finally released a policy on photography and the NYPD’s leaked policy document says to stop the harassment of photographers shooting in public. So in order to progress even further, promote even more awareness and stand up for our rights, NPRO is holding a Photographers’ Rights Rally Weekend this year that will kick off in the Los Angeles Harbor/Port of Long Beach on Saturday June 6th, and end on June 7th in Downtown Los Angeles.

Before attending this event, it is important that we all educate ourselves about the law and photography. To learn the essentials it’s best to start with Bert Krages’ ubiquitous “The Photographer’s Right.” Read it. Memorize it. Print it. The knowledge you obtain from this document will help protect yourself when confronted by law enforcement or security staff when taking pictures in public.

You can also check out the numerous links in section 9 of this blog’s sidebar, which provide you with even more information regarding the law and photography.

Most importantly though, no matter what we are told by law enforcement, California Wiretapping Law legally permits us to secretly record police, or anybody for that matter, when they are in public and there is no expectation of privacy. We do not need a cop’s acknowledgment or permission to record their threats.

It’s extremely important that we bring video cameras and/or audio recording devices to document the unlawful actions of  cops and security guards.

So put on your rally lens caps and clear your schedules for the first weekend in June.

NPRO Rally – Saturday, June 6th
Location: Los Angeles Harbor/Port of Long Beach
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Directions From Downtown Los Angeles: 110 S to Anaheim St Exit, Turn Left on Figueroa Place, Turn Left on W Anaheim St, W Anaheim St Turns Into E Anaheim St, End At N Henry Ford Ave, Park On Street
Directions From the 405 N/S: Exit 33B S Wilmington Ave, Travel West on S Wilmington Ave, Take First Left at E 223rd St, Right on S Alameda St, Continue on S Alameda St, Veer Left on to N Henry Ford Ave, End at Intersection of E Anaheim St and N Henry Ford Ave, Park on Street

 

NPRO Rally – Sunday, June 7th
Location: Pershing Square, Corner of S. Hill St. & W. 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90013
Time: 11:30 a.m.

First Amendment Travesty: Michigan Reporter Sentenced

Published June 1, 2009 Assault , Harassment , Photographers' Rights , Photojournalism , Police Harassment 1 Comment
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Photo from the Michigan Citizen

It was Michigan Citizen reporter Diane Bukowski’s rotten luck that her sentencing came on the day that GM announced it was filing for bankruptcy. Already this story wouldn’t have gotten much play in Detroit, but now it’s as good as done.

Bukowski was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $4,000 fine today for two counts of resisting and obstructing an officer at a crime scene in November. Of course the story is as shady as a big oak tree. It was a police car chase that ended in the death of two men. Bukowski is well known for reporting on police corruption. The officer in question manhandled Bukowski, deleting all of her photos – and the jurors saw the raw Fox 2 news footage that substantiates that she never crossed the police tape. Nevertheless, the cops have friends in high places and now Bukowski will pay.

She is appealing the ruling.

Watch the original Fox 2 news report here.

Article from the Detroit Free Press

Photographers’ Rights Rally June 6th & 7th

Published May 25, 2009 Harassment , Photographers' Rights , Police Harassment , Protests , Rally , Security Guard Harassment 1 Comment
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NPRO Rally June 6th & 7th

The National Photographers’ Rights Weekend Rally is just two weeks away. So put your rally lens caps on and clear your schedules because this year’s event is taking place over two days (not just one like last year) and will certainly cause some controversy – as well as raise awareness for photographers’ rights.

For more info, email npro@discarted.com.

Taking Photos of Little Girls Is Illegal in London

Published May 12, 2009 Harassment , Photographers' Rights , Police Harassment , Street photography 6 Comments
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Photo by d.anny

A Greek photographer has been arrested – yes, arrested – for taking photos of a little girl on the London subway. According to the British Journal of Photography, when Pericles Antoniou inadvertently took photos of a young girl in April and her mother complained, he says he did the courteous thing and showed the mother the photos and then erased them all. The girl’s father wasn’t satisfied though, and demanded that police arrest Antoniou. He was charged with “public harassment” and causing “alarm and distress.”

As Antoniou writes in a letter to the Greek ambassador to Britain:

It is inconceivable for one to think, in the country where Bill Brandt, Marτin Parr, Killip were born and their works are based on street photography, that I had to be humiliated and accused of taking photos (!!!) while being in the Metro – subway. It is noted that in the National Portrait Gallery there is a photo exhibition currently which is about photos taken of people in streets!!!

His court date has been scheduled for May 18.

Check out the Facebook group that was created for Antoniou’s cause here.

Threatened With Arrest

Published April 17, 2009 Harassment , Photographers' Rights , Police Harassment 26 Comments
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Last week I wrote about a confrontation between myself and the LAPD while legally photographing a crime scene where a man had been killed. During the encounter LAPD officers berated, bullied and threatened me with unlawful arrest for supposedly obstructing their investigation. At no point did  I encroach on the crime scene, or cross police tape to photograph the incident. I was well within my legal rights granted to me by the US Constitution and LAPD’s Media Relations Handbook.

Photographer Bullied, Berated at Tent City

Published April 17, 2009 Harassment , Photographers' Rights , Photojournalism , Security Guard Harassment Leave a Comment
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Photo by Ted Soqui

LA photojournalist Ted Soqui was in Ontario, CA, working on a story about the homeless encampment called Tent City when he was harassed, followed, berated and assaulted by its nasty security force.  Surrounded by cyclone fencing, the landscape is adorned with tents, campers and port-o-potties. All of which, are patrolled by Securitas security guards, who apparently rule with an iron fist.

As Ted tells it:

The agents followed me street to street, even pushing my camera into my face at one point. Another person joined in to attempt to stop me from taking photographs, waiving their hands in front of my camera lens as well. They called me every name in the book and threatened to call the police, which they said they did. The police never came. It was a bizzare day, and I was told that they have my license number and are going to come over my home and harass me. 

To see more photos from his day in Ontario, go to Ted’s blog LA Photo.

I’d Hate to Be This Guy’s Lawyer

Published March 11, 2009 Assault , Harassment , Photographers' Rights , Street photography 1 Comment
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Photo by Jeremy Brooks

This is from an old post on flickr, but still great.

Photographer Jeremy Brooks came upon this angry guy yelling at a homeless man on a corner in San Francisco. He went over to investigate, camera in hand, and the angry man soon turned on him. Mr. Angry Overreaction Man, as Brooks dubbed him, screamed and yelled, threatened him, bumped him with his chest, and told him if the picture ended up on the internet he’d call his lawyer. Brooks stood his ground and got this shot, which fittingly, is now on the internet. 

Brooks says: 

So, Mr. Angry Overreaction Man, your photo is now on the internet. Call your lawyer. Tell him somebody on a public sidewalk took your photo while you were on a public sidewalk. Then tell him you physically assaulted the photographer. See what he says.

Read the whole post on Jeremy Brooks’ flickr page.

Record & Protect

Published March 7, 2009 Harassment , Photographers' Rights 5 Comments
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We’ve gotten a few inquiries about the wearable recording device that Shawn mentioned on Digital Village this morning. It’s called the Vievu PVR-PRO 2 and it captures your perspective (about four hours’ worth at a time) and is downloadable with a USB device. It’s priced at $399.95, but if you’re a regular street and events shooter, the protection it affords is undeniable. There are reports that the price might come down too.

You can find it here.

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