My MP wrote to me today saying he would not be signing or supporting Austin Mitchells bill as he felt there wasn't evidence of the authorities hassling photographers. He also said it wouldn't sign a bill which criticised our police force without having evidence.
So, who would like to contribute some links to evidence so I can write back (He asked me to if I had evidence to the contrary)?
Yet, we are constantly harrassed by security guards and police officers in the name of preventing terrorism. They seem to be operating under a different interpretation of the law to the rest of us, believing that somehow the length of your lens, or size of your camera is relevant.
I've signed. I seem to be the 738th person to do so.
In terms of signatures, the petition is ranked 180th out of 7,008 on the Downing Street web site. It would need 1,380 (i.e. another 642) signatures to get into the top 100, but even then it would still be behind such eminently worthy causes as:
* Teach sign language in all schools in the UK (1,410)
* "Save Harrow skate park (1,686)
* Immediately reduce the duty on petrol prices by 40% (2,065)
* Save Frenchay hospital (2,657)
* Keep the Textile Conservation Centre open (3,278)
* Remove VAT from vet bills (6,418)
* Remove the 15-point deduction from Leeds United (32,642)
* Make Jeremy Clarkson Prime Minister (48,414)
* Allow the Red Arrows to Fly at the 2012 Olympics (296,320)
Hmm. Can't help wondering how effective this process is.
Incidentally there are 7,197 members of TP. How many of them have signed? Clearly less than 10%. I wonder why?
I think this should be a "sticky", like the thread about Austin Mitchell's Early Day Motion.
i would have no problem with this one - at least the budget would be good for car driversMake Jeremy Clarkson Prime Minister (48,414)
Whist I support the ideal of protecting the oppressed photographer I find (from my experience) it difficult to support the following statement: -
I have over 30,000 photos on my website (nearly all in public places) and I have yet to have problem with the police maybe Im lucky, or maybe the problem is mostly in London, or maybe my approach prevents some of the problems that others have had. In any case terrorism kills and scars many people for life there is always a way to get the photo you want, you just need to (in many cases) just ask .
I for one am happy to be oppressed rather then for someone else be killed, but in most cases this is not the case, and we need to just make them (police and security) understand what we are doing and why and then we can do our job and they can do theirs .