How to get your butt kicked 101

[TX69]

LOL

Atlantic City Cops Caught on Video Viciously Attacking, Siccing Dog on Non-Resisting Man | Photography is Not a Crime: PINAC

 

[benenglish]

Leaving aside the merits of this particular encounter, the whole Photography Is Not A Crime site was set up to address a very serious issue. Police, rent-a-cops, security guards and all sorts of other folks have begun treating street photographers as criminals. As a devotee of Henri Cartier-Bresson and a former street photographer, I find the whole trend alarming. If I'm standing in a public place taking pictures of something visible by anyone from that public place, any LEO or building security or anyone else who tries to stop me is simply wrong to do so. The fact that most cops don't like to be told "What I'm doing is legal so leave me alone" and too often respond with excessive, unjustified force is shameful.

In one notable case, a photographer was arrested for taking pictures of an Amtrak train. The funny thing was, at the time Amtrak was running a contest asking people to submit photos of their trains. He managed to get a five-figure settlement but many photographers who don't have the resources to fight unjustified harassment have had to simply take it and get on with their lives.

Personally, I've been threatened with arrest and ordered to leave the area while photographing a police officer on the job. The throng of citizens standing closer to the dead bodies in that case were of no concern to the police officer barking orders; I was the one with the camera so I got singled out. I was a kid at the time. In my old age, I realize that the correct response to such orders from a police officer begins with an "F" and ends with a "U", phrased, of course, a bit more subtly than that. Many photographers, however, simply find themselves arrested for doing things that are perfectly legal.

Again, I'm not commenting on this particular video. I am, however, stating my strong opinion that Photography Is Not A Crime, the organization and the site, is on the side of the angels and doing important work.

Incredibly stupid stuff is happening far, far too often and threatens the civil liberties of us all.

 

[carlosrowlett]

jesus christ, all those cops need to rot in jail. i was raised to respect the police but with stuff like this going on i find it harder and harder not to fear the police officers that are supposed to protect our city's.