Photography and Terrorism Law in UK

Truly remarkable. Despite Austin Mitchell's EDM there is still no let up in the apparent persecution of photography in the UK.

I do recall one RFF member testing out the security forces in London last year, taking snaps of Ye Houses of Parliament, Whitehall, the MI5 HQ etc. and he wasn't challenged at all. Are things really getting worse, or is it just a slow news day?
 
It comes down to control issues - certain people get personal satisfaction from telling others what they cannot do. These people are dangerous and their attitudes need to be challenged. It is the nature of the role of a security guards that attracts just those sort of people in the first place. They do not see the same thing as the photographer interested in e.g. the shape, or texture, or the play of light, or the image potential seen by them in what the security guard/policeman regard much more straightforwardly.
 
The terrorists win again 🙄 silly is it not? They set the first domino falling and we watch our liberty crumble piece by piece as we cry havoc and turn on each other until we are standing in a pile of our own self destruction.
 
I think in the UK it's less about terrorism and more about state control. Section 44 was always going to be used to intimidate innocent individuals. The UK government, and certainly the duplicitous Blair, knew that, and that's why they included it. Governments believe they need to control populations and will use anything to do it. Civil liberties in the 21st century? Forget it.
 
Those who seek political power are the least capable of wielding it effectively.
"Your liberties have been eroded while you slept, welcome to the surveillance society. Your every move will now be monitored, every communication analysed. Anyone who has independent thought or chooses to buck the trend will be incarcerated indefinitely. Welcome to the United Soviet Kingdom, where we know whats best for you."
 
Back in the 60s George Orwell's 1984 was required reading at O level in the UK, I read it a cautionary story others of my generation seen to have seen it as a blueprint, the staff at Minitrue are alive and well, and living in Notting Hill it seems
 
its about keeping the masses under control. The knucklehead terrorist brought out the good in some and the worst in others.

1984 was required redading, as was Leviathan.
 
I think the building of the US embassy in Bratislava would be a good place to start 😉

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The security gates have taken up half of the street now. Any terrorists who need pictures of sensitive structures need only do a quick search of flickr to find anything they want...try it! Maybe that is the point in the authorities harassing innocent people.
 
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I'm afraid it just makes me more bloody minded and arguementative, which is somewhat against my nature. However, there is little that they can actually do to stop you if you are firm enough not to roll over.

My main concern is if they actually try to change the current laws!
 
Sadly it's a trend that's hard to reverse. Any government who tries to do something about the erosion of liberty, and fix the Orwellian laws, will be lampooned by the press for "going soft" on terror. Those who enacted the laws will always defend them.

It's ironic, that you can preach hate and incite murder, without disruption. Try to take some photos of a market stall or a bridge, and you'll either have the police, or the stall owner after you.
 


That one has been on the cards for some time as I understand it also applies to mobile and cable phone calls, the “bio-metric” passport’s introduction has started, and the ID card starts later this year, they are starting with immigrant workers and airport staff to avoid controversy a bit like that poem;

First they came for the communists…………..
 
I understand that the new UK ID cards will require me to go to a passport office for an iris scan or something.

Recently they closed their Lisbon office, and relocated to Madrid which is about six hours drive away...
 
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