Italian student arrested while filming for fun

"You like looking at those buildings do you? You're basically filming for fun? I don't believe you."

This is the kind of blatant abuse of power and basic bullying that is just disgusting coming from an officer of the law... the idea that she was guilty until proven innocent is completely unacceptable.
 
"The Met confirmed that a woman was stopped and searched under section 44 of the Terrorism Act"

well, there you go. You play, you pay.

[BTW what is section 44?]

seriously, why do you think the Pilgrims left for America?
 
Is it me or is it rare for there not to be a daily occurrence like this?

In Australia the police seem reasonable. I have been told off for jaywalking hundreds of times and never fined.
 
Unbelievable .... What is going on in London ? At some point I wanted to visit London again but I like and do taking photos all the time and I am not keen to have that kind of experience ....
 
35mmdelux said:
[BTW what is section 44?]
Click to expand...

Section 44 is a provision in the UK's Terrorism Act of 2000. Note that's before 9/11; the act has antecedents rooted in the conflict in Northern Ireland.

Section 44 empowers the Home Secretary and the police to designate any area in the country as one in which they can stop and search anyone or any vehicle and seize articles which could be used in connection with terrorism. Police are not required to have a reasonable suspicion to stop and search someone.

I believe the police or not required to announce which regions have been designated under Section 44.

Section 41 of the Terrorism Act allowed the police to arrest and hold someone without charge for up to 48 hours on suspicions of being a terrorist. The Terrorism Act of 2006 extended the amount of time a person can be held without charge to 28 days.

In other words, UK police can put you in jail for 28 days without charging you with anything for the act of using a camera.

[EDIT: I disagree with these provisions, but it might help Americans to at least grasp the political environment in which they were passed to understand that the UK, especially London, has had much more direct experience with terror over the last 30-40 years than the U.S. These are the kind of laws democracies create when they are frightened.]
 
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The Gestapo are alive and well. its just that they are npw called the "Met" that is the Metropolital Police.
Give them a uniform (younger ones particularly) and they are drunk with power.
I won't be going back to London ever again!! constantly harassed in the Canary Wharf area.
I suggest that you non UK people scratch London off your photo holiday list.
 
If you're shooting with a film camera then there's nothing for them to see...
Getting back to the first video...that was just plain abuse of power with a side of stupidy...
 
Small people abusing power. Some bobbies are nasty though, an increasing trend I think. They used to be polite, but now many seem to be looking for an argument. I was still living in England during the IRA campaign in the UK and the cops were never like this. If you are visiting major cities in the UK you need to be careful. This thread from the LUF is worth reading (it used to be called "my fellow criminals").
 
yeah... I've always wanted to visit the UK for a photo trip.. but I can't see myself doing it any time soon. It's getting pretty scary... If anyone's seen "V for Vendetta"... it's pretty chilling to see that it's coming pretty close to the society portrayed in the movie, all it would take is a catalyst push things over the edge. If you HAVEN'T seen it... do yourself a favour and watch it to see what the consequences of handing freedoms over to the government one at a time can do... all in the name of public safety.
 
I was planning a weekend break in London, guess I'll switch to York now. The police here in Brum is actually getting much more sensible, I used to be stop every time I wander down the train station, now they don't bother :D
 
peter_n said:
Small people abusing power. Some bobbies are nasty...
Click to expand...


Undoubtedly, but the law in the UK requires police to be tasked to perform these challenges. Or, at least, is being interpreted in that fashion. I suspect it's the volunteer "support officers" who initiate the majority of these confrontations. I see them as essentially vigilantes in uniform driven by the same motivations that have always driven vigilantes.

According to the Guardian piece Sean pointed to, police in central London don't seem to agree with Scotland Yard's advice for police to back off.
 
Someone really ought to have told the officer in question that he really shouldn't walk around talking with gum in his mouth. Same old bully boys.

EDIT: Upon closer inspection, it appears to be his brain?
 
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He wasn't a proper bobby - just an untrained volunteer. THey are responsible for perhaps the bulk of these cases.

AS well as being rude - chewing gum while on duty - he was also stupid. It sounded like he had just learned the word 'iconic'. DOesn't he realise it's now hopelessly passe?
 
What Benjamin said about the chewing gum.

And. This makes me feel sick in my stomach.

I've noticed an increase in road rage during this credit crunch thing too, and it's mostly directed towards women or the elderly. I wonder whether this chappy would have been so cocky if the girl have been a 7 foot rugby player?
 
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The world needs a little revolution. I fear however we have got to the point where we are only able to protest online, where the governments snub their noses at us. Those people who do still have the courage to protest in real life...well the last group of people I knew who did that, a couple ended up getting run over by cars in "mysterious accidents" and the others disappeared in the back of a truck. We should fear what can happen by looking at what has happened in other places where things have progressed further along in what is only starting to happen in the west.

A sad state of affairs indeed but I think we are partially to blame for letting things go on like this. If everything continues as it is now I think we are toast, and then we will really have deserved it.
 
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wait... they're letting untrained volunteers polices the streets???? Most people that would volunteer for this are either looking for a power trip... or scared, fearful people that see terrorism everywhere.... exactly what you're looking for in a police force :p

Doesn't this seem strangely reminiscent of the Gestapo's volunteer enforcer/informant squads?
 
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