07/03/2008 > UNITED KINGDOM
I've been
stopped three times in the last two weeks. The first time I was photographing
traffic [see pictures]. Then I was photographing railway lines and there was a
helicopter overhead, so a police officer was sent over. And just a few days ago
I was doing a close up on the Houses of Parliament when I was told if I didn't
move on I'd be arrested. I don't know exactly what they're instructed but you
can't go out in central London
with a long lens camera without getting hassled. I feel put out.
All this [the campaign]
paints me as being odd, suspicious and very much a potential terrorist in the
eyes of the London Metropolitan Police who want you, the reader, to report me.
(...) We bring terrorism close into our homes by terrorizing ourselves/ family/ friends/
community/ state/ country through paranoia and suspicion."
Odd looking photographer? Must be a terrorist
The London Metropolitan police have just issued new measures in the fight against terrorism. During a five week campaign police officers are expected to stop and search more “odd” looking people and the public are being warned to report anything “suspicious”. But after just two weeks since its launch the public are starting to question whether it’s infringing on civil liberties. Photographers in particular are sick of being questioned by policemen and being told to move on. To voice their complaints, artists are creating their own versions of the campaign’s posters.
The contributors
The original campaign
The publicity campaign was launched on 25 February 2008. "Odd" looking photographers, houses with "unusual activity" or "suspicious mobile" phone users are all things to look out for. Here are the original posters:
"I’ve been stopped three times in the last two weeks"
When our Observer Nick Fine was stopped by the police in London, he decided to capture the moment on film. The amateur photographer put his camera on timer mode and posed with the police officers. He then used the images to create this parody of the original campaign poster, and posted it along with the police statement he received.
Nick Fine, an amateur photographer from London:
I've been
stopped three times in the last two weeks. The first time I was photographing
traffic [see pictures]. Then I was photographing railway lines and there was a
helicopter overhead, so a police officer was sent over. And just a few days ago
I was doing a close up on the Houses of Parliament when I was told if I didn't
move on I'd be arrested. I don't know exactly what they're instructed but you
can't go out in central London
with a long lens camera without getting hassled. I feel put out.
I know they've got to make the public aware but we need to use some kind of common sense. Since when did Al-Qaeda start doing their research in high visibility gear? Or choosing ruddy great big white Canon lenses over small high resolution point and shoot compacts? In broad daylight at rush hour? The campaign's basically telling you "If there are a thousand photographers then one of them is a terrorist". Interviewing me is wasting police time. And it's frustrating. We haven't been presented with any facts [along with the campaign] so it's basically media hype and scaremongering, which is hard to take seriously."
All this [the campaign]
paints me as being odd, suspicious and very much a potential terrorist in the
eyes of the London Metropolitan Police who want you, the reader, to report me.
(...) We bring terrorism close into our homes by terrorizing ourselves/ family/ friends/
community/ state/ country through paranoia and suspicion."
Where's the evidence?
I'm yet to see any real evidence of terrorism presented by the authorities that would be anything near a serious threat to the West that has enough substance to stand up to any sort of critical analysis. Be it 911, 711 or the Bali bombings there are serious questions regarding all these alleged terrorist acts that the authorities completely avoid. From destruction of evidence to omission of facts, obfuscation and outright lies. WTC7? Enough said!
If you dare to ask the questions that the authorities should be asking regarding these so called 'terrorist acts' your labeled a conspiracy theorist and derided as a nut job. These so called leaders are lying through their teeth. The only terrorist threat I'm worried about is the one that stems from the 'elected' governments and representatives of our so called 'free' society.
Orwell was an optimist, God help our children.
Iqbal, you do not have the
Iqbal, you do not have the slightest idea what freedom means.
In the second world war many thousands of resistance fighters and soldiers were willing to risk their lives, to risk their property, to risk torture at the hands of fascist governments in the name of freedom. If they could not live as free citizens, then they preferred not to live at all.
Security means less than nothing if it comes at the price of liberty. This fact will not change, no matter how great the threat from terrorists, real or imagined.
When you fall to your knees in appreciation at the rape of your civil rights, you spit on the memories of every man and woman who fought in the French Resistance, every person who died in every war of independence, and everyone who has ever been killed by a terrorist.
What you offer, Iqbal, is cowardice and dishonor in exchange for the illusion of security. It is a fool's bargain and you reveal yourself not to deserve the freedom you seek to throw away.
"anonyme" your comments are
"anonyme"
your comments are paranoid and loathsome
Actually, I'm inclined to
Actually, I'm inclined to agree with him.
Iqbal, you do not have the
Iqbal, you do not have the slightest idea what freedom means.
In the second world war many thousands of resistance fighters and soldiers were willing to risk their lives, to risk their property, to risk torture at the hands of fascist governments in the name of freedom. If they could not live as free citizens, then they preferred not to live at all.
Security means less than nothing if it comes at the price of liberty. This fact will not change, no matter how great the threat from terrorists, real or imagined.
When you fall to your knees in appreciation at the rape of your civil rights, you spit on the memories of every man and woman who fought in the French Resistance, every person who died in every war of independence, and everyone who has ever been killed by a terrorist.
What you offer, Iqbal, is cowardice and dishonor in exchange for the illusion of security. It is a fool's bargain and you reveal yourself not to deserve the freedom you seek to throw away.
I like this campaign. People
I like this campaign. People who critize it don't know what it is to deal with security issues and live in fear. You ave a good police. And your governement respect your civil rights. So please don't be ridiculous and overly critical. They're trying to protect you. You'd better be gratefull. you can't be free if you live in fear.
The Nazis Won the War
Oh, yes, they did win the war. It just took them a tad longer to get the reins of government in their hands. Now for the will-o-the-wisp of "safety" they've persuaded this damned fool to surrender civil liberties hard fought for since the Magna Carta.
Al Quaeda, all 200 of them, have convinced the govt to engage everyone in a nazi-era spy-on-your-neighbor effort like the Hitler Youth.
Boom! There go your rights.
Fear
But what is the practice of suspecting everything you see of being a part of something potentially dangerous, if not the ESSENCE of "living in fear"? It is campaigns like this that cause societies to live in fear.