Comments on: Section 44 in Chatham High Street.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:42:42 +0000

A couple of items just surfaced which seem to indicate that the police are still making up the law as they go along and being heavy-handed in the process. Obviously not learnt their lesson yet.
http://tinyurl.com/yfp5cho
http://tinyurl.com/yjvcqj9
I have to say, reading these makes my blood boil. Just who do some of these jobs-worthy people think they are? The item about not being allowed to take pictures of your own child, even though the scene was otherwise deserted, is nothing short of ludicrous.

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:12:25 +0000

Thought you might like to see this one:
http://www.youtube.com/user/cveitch
“The Love Police do an amazing job demonstrating how to get out of being searched under section 44 of the Terrorism Act. Stopped by police outside the Tower of London, they avoid being searched, having to give their personal details and having their camera film looked at simply by stating the law, remaining calm and polite. (Although keeping the video camera rolling probably helped too.) The police sent an Inspector (rather senior), two Sergeants, five officers and four police cars. But in the end they walk away.”

By: adam

adam — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:59:04 +0000

have Kent police responded to your complaint yet (perhaps you commented further up and I missed it?)

By: Jono

Jono — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:33:18 +0000

I have read your article with interest, one thing to ask the police was at the time you were stopped had Chatham High Street been designated by the Chief Constable of Kent as an “authorised area” for S44 of the Terrorist Act?
If Chatham High Street was not an authorised area, to my knowledge only the railway system in Kent is (policed by British Transport Police) then this is an unlawful arrest.
Under Freedom of Information Act, Kent Police should be able to advise you of this. If you haven’t already get a solicitor!
I have recently taken up photography, live in Medway and worried now!

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:05:43 +0000

An old American news item that has emerged and has a sort-of vaguely familiar ring to it. Can’t imagine why!
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/17/uk-man-hassled-by-co.html#previouspost

By: Photography and terrorism: your rights « Dom Turner: Freelance Photographer, Designer, Programmer & Writer

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:51:32 +0000

[...] have been used to stop, search and sometimes even arrest innocent photographers. For example, here is a not-unusual story about an amateur photographer’s experience of the police in London…, and here’s a video shot by someone experiencing the act in action. In both these cases, and [...]

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:57:23 +0000

Mass photography session in Trafalgar Square, 23rd Jan:
http://photographernotaterrorist.org/2009/12/mass-photo-gathering/
and another interesting item re. a painter (of all people) being questioned by police whilst producing a charming watercolour of a factory near London City Airport. Decidedly low-tech way (and slow) of gathering terrorist information I would have thought:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/18/antiterrorism-police-stop-painter-airport

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:15:15 +0000

Even more items. They seem to be coming in thick and fast these days!
http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/jEQInS6E27o/uk-terrorism-stop-an.html
and
http://boingboing.net/2008/08/19/visitor-to-london-vi.html
Have these coppers been living on another planet? Don’t they realise the harm they are doing to themselves by these daft actions?

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:21:20 +0000

This may also be of interest from our friends across the pond:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/12/police_cellphone_videos/

By: Graham Lester George

Graham Lester George — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:27:53 +0000

I am a writer and photographer who has done a lot of street photography in the past. Happily I have not been subject to police harrassment when taking photographs, but I know that this kind of police behaviour has become oppressively prevalent in the last couple of years. I think you have been overly considerate by not naming and shaming the officers concerned, and publishing the photo with the police woman’s face unobscured. These people are a real threat to our freedoms and they should be exposed.