Wednesday 18 February 2009

'Shoot photos of police – get arrested.' POLITICS IN REPRESENTATION.


I know it was toothless.. Though nothing ventured nothing gained.
I attended;
I'm a Photographer ... not a Terrorist – Media Event - New Scotland Yard
The howls were more flashes and even so an uneasiness was upon Broadway. I fell by the way side. My infected red eye glowering at..at nothing really it was a fairly pleasant Monday morning, I had nothing to wince about. The act had become law, and theres a lot of disparity about that. Clearly it will affect journalists first they are the frontline. What is not immediately clear are the likely ramifications for all visual artists. Section76 is reasonably explicit in its project it seeks to curtail the possible use of stills/video of the U.K.'s state apparatus, military & constabulary by terrorists. There is an out - the out is based upon the definition of 'likely to be of use to terrorists'...... hmmm

Terrorist offences
76 Offences relating to information about members of armed forces etc
(1) After section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (collection of information) insert—
“58A Eliciting, publishing or communicating information about members of armed forces etc
(1) A person commits an offence who—
(a) elicits or attempts to elicit information about an individual who is or has been—
(i) a member of Her Majesty’s forces,
(ii) a member of any of the intelligence services, or
(iii) a constable,
which is of a kind likely to be useful {Nice and vague legal definition, so theoretically anything related to the city of London though also any ex –mod staff or police} could be to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, or
(b) publishes or communicates any such information. {The full legal implications would mean photographing any of the above list and uploading them to flickr for example – where they could be accessed by a third party possibly a terrorist}

58A.(2) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section to prove that they had a reasonable excuse for their action. {This is the one clause that’s built in to allow you or I the opportunity to defend our actions in making a photograph, though if you need to use this it's probable that you are already under arrest}

I was peripheral, maybe I felt toothless amongst the valiant, their cannons (sic) hanging off them like guns for hire, old west, cops & robbers style. A hollow vacant yelp! as we slowly resign our rights to the state.

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