Toronto Star photographer arrested

[sevres_babylone]

A Toronto Star photographer was arrested at Toronto's Union Station for taking pictures of two GO transit employees who were injured after an altercation. Union Station is the main train station in Toronto for both intercity and commuter trains.

Here's what the Union Station media relations person said (I'm still trying to decipher this). She said the news photographers are not allowed to take pictures without permission at Union Station:
"“There are two issues here. If you’re taking pictures in the official capacity of your job (journalist) that’s where there is a liability issue. If people are using their cellphones and taking pictures or even using their cameras to take tourist shots there isn’t that kind of an issue because it’s not in an official capacity,” said Aikins."

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...ing_photos_of_injured_go_transit_officer.html

 

[David_Manning]

Funny thing is, people with cellphone cameras now shoot and share breaking news, via social media AND news gathering organizations' own conduit (iReporter and the like).

Toronto Star needs to sue the police department in order to make a precedent or clarify the law. What happens when Google Glass wearers are witness an incident?

 

[jammcat]

How charming. Score one for Toronto.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I wasn't aware Canada had become the 51st state.

 

[daveleo]

I think we are witnessing the laws (everywhere) needing to catch up with
technology / reality (security cameras, google cameras, cell phones, ipads everywhere), if you will.
This is going to take years, and will probably never reach a state of equilibrium.

As noted above, people have to bring cases to court, because the guys who
made up the existing law didn't think it through all the way, or were
pressured by some zealot group with their focused agenda (not that I know
that for a fact).

It'll keep the courts busy.

 

[Perfect Imposter]

Unfortunately the police have him on a technicality. He wasn't arrested for taking a photo. At the very end of the story it says he was given a ticket for trespassing because he was asked to move and didn't. I had an unfortunate incident in my teens so I'm familiar with the laws on trespassing. That charge will likely stick, if you are asked to move while you're on public property you have to. Whether it's by a police officer or even a city employee.

 

[BLKRCAT]

Since when did the Star start publishing articles that don't involve slandering Rob Ford?

 

[julianphotoart]

“'I took the picture and they came over to me saying I couldn’t take pictures. They told me to leave, so I left. I was trying to figure out what was going on,' Consiglio said."

If that is true, then he wasn't trespassing. He was arrested for the photo, with the trespass ticket bootstrapped into the situation.

If Union Station is city property, then media better not ever take a photo on a sidewalk -- or ever again snap Rob Ford's picture while he skulks around City Hall evading the truth.

If Union Station is GO Transit (i.e. provincial) property, then media better not take any photos at Queens Park during a press conference.

If Union Station is Via Rail property (i.e. federal), then media better never take a photo of an MP at the Parliament building.

 

[swoop]

The thing that scares me is that if it were I or any other freelancer and was arrested covering the same story we'd have no legal representation from the paper.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Careful! If you get quoted out of context you'll be blamed for all that ails them.

 

[Perfect Imposter]

“'I took the picture and they came over to me saying I couldn’t take pictures. They told me to leave, so I left. I was trying to figure out what was going on,' Consiglio said."

If that is true, then he wasn't trespassing. He was arrested for the photo, with the trespass ticket bootstrapped into the situation.

He said, she said. Cop wins every time. I agree that's probably what happened. In my case I got fined really because I was being a bit of a mouth piece, but trespassing was an easy fine for them to hit me with.