The "Metro" free newspaper given away at railway stations in the UK had a front page article today about the abuse of a photographer who took a photo of a police car reversing the wrong way up a one-way street so the plods could visit a fish and chip shop "to view CCTV" footage of an incident.
Yeah right!
The hapless photographer had his camera knocked out of his hands and told to "eff off, this is police business" before being banged up for 5 hours and charged with three spurious offences only to be released without charge. The officer was made to apologise personally but still kept his job, somewhat strangely!
So what with police doing what they want, and the public clearly not allowed to photograph their trangressions either, my intentions to be the first person in the UK to vote for the Anarchy party at the next election will all be in vain - looks like the police got there first!
What on earth is going on?
I believe he'd have escaped any consequences regardless of his colour or ethnic origin. Police use of the law is increasingly assymetric : it applies to us, not them, at least not if they can avoid it. If you or I kidnapped someone off the street for the sake of a personal grudge, we'd be in gaol.
Police impunity is just one of those slippery little unintended consequences of the War on Terror, where anything is justified in the name of fear. Jean Paul Menezes is the worst, most flagrant and tragic example, but every s44 harassment and obstructive act against photographers is part of the steady destruction of civil liberties by a police force that is learning it has little accountability and a stack of get out of gaol excuses provided by our political leaders.
Photorights admin
"The officer was made to apologise personally but still kept his job, somewhat strangely!" No, the PC is from an ethnic minority, like the balancing of demographics using S44 stop/checks he's almost untouchable with Police forces required to meet racial ratio's...and a number of officers I know are fed up with the whole 'black and asian police officers associations' positive discrimination thing, some of whom come from ethnic minorities and see the damage to the police service and their reputations this creates (was he promoted for his ethnic origin or on ability?).
See also Amateur Photographer's coverage here. Or Daily Telegraph here
Photorights admin
Post new comment