UK Violates Basic Human Rights - Fight Against Terrorism

Photographers protest UK terror law
By Agnes Teh, for CNN
January 23, 2010 5:33 p.m. EST

London, England (CNN) -- Photographers fed up with being stopped and searched by British police under the country's terrorism laws gathered in London to protest against the practice.
Waving placards with the message, "I am a photographer, not a terrorist," about 2,000 photographers called for more leniency from the British police.
The slogan is the name of a group set up to campaign against certain sections of Britain's Terrorism Act 2000, which was designed to give police greater powers to fight terrorism.
Photographers say they have been unduly targeted by Section 44 of the Act, which allow officers to stop and search people, regardless of whether they have reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing.
"We're coming together to show solidarity and to show that we won't be intimidated," said Jonathan Warren, a freelance photographer and one of the founders of the campaign group.

Warren said he was approached by police a couple of years ago while covering an anti-arms protest.
"I was waiting for the protest to start when I was stopped and searched, even though I had my press card and was an accredited photographer," Warren said.

I showed it to the police, and they didn't believe me. They went through my bag and my pockets," he said.
A small number of police watched the protest Saturday in London's Trafalgar Square, but they maintained a low profile.
Some protesters wore police costumes and badges identifying themselves as "vigilance officers," amid frequent camera flashes. Mock "freedom wardens" also made their way through the crowd pretending to arrest photographers.
Britain's terrorism laws were dealt a blow last week when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that stop-and-search powers under Section 44 of the Act were a breach of human rights.
The ruling came after lengthy legal fight by two people who were stopped and searched on their way to a London demonstration.
The court found that the "coercive powers" of the anti-terrorism legislation amounted to a clear interference with the right to respect for private life. The British government is appealing the decision, saying the powers are an important tool in the fight against terrorism.
Another founding member of "I'm a photographer, not a terrorist," freelance photographer Jess Hurd, felt that she too had been unfairly stopped under Section 44.
She said these random checks have affected photographers' ability to work.
"I was stopped last year for 45 minutes covering a travel wedding," the freelance photographer said.
"Everyone, if they haven't been stopped already, knows someone who has been. This is becoming a problem. People stopped over sunsets at St. Paul's, chip shops, roundabouts -- it's getting a bit crazy.
"I would personally like a repeal of this law," Hurd said.
"It's absolutely outrageous that the terrorism act is being used to stop photographers from doing their job," said another participant, freelance photographer Adam Woolfitt.
"My message is stop. Leave us alone," Woolfitt said. "We've got a job to do."

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• No
• Press
• Freedom
• Racism
• in
• Multicultural
• Britain
• UK
• England
• Discrimination
• English
• Walsh
• Scottish
• Northern
• Ireland
• Racist
• Black
• White
• Chinese
• Asian
• Paki
• Taliban
• Al
• Quida
• Muslim
• Hindu
• Catholic
• Protestant
• Christians
• Buddhist
• Attack
• Violence
• Police
• Arrest
• Amnesty
• International
• Human
• Rights
• Violation
• West
• East
• Gangs
• BNP
• British
• National
• Party
• Westminster
• Parliament
• Queen

[painsey]

fuck the government, fucking wankers

[Thewizard22uk]

What's the point of anti-terrorism laws when Terrorists break them AND allowed to do so for *Religious reasons*?

Look how they walk straight through those new body scanners that supposed to be able to detect *Exploding underpants*

[trentmuch1]

@trentmuch1

(CONTINUED)

... So what happened next?

The information WOULD be dangerous to a terrorist yes, along with a suspicious consignment of certain beans, but surely - There's no harm in peaceful interest without the raw ingredient?

The Judge ACKNOWLEDGED that, didn't he?

Err, not quite, apparently!!!

He decided that because Kausar's actions "went beyond mere idle curiosity".(opinion), that the defendant deserved a 27 month prison sentence.

Bye-bye rational LAW! Bye-eee!!

[trentmuch1]

On sentencing one Asim Kausar for having a "recipe for Ricin", the Recorder (Part-time Judge) of Manchester stated:

"There [is] no evidence that the offending went beyond collecting information. I accept that all of this material is available on the internet and can be bought from retailers and I accept some of it is out of date,"

Sounds good for a fair acquittal, right?

"[This makes the material] no less dangerous or any less useful to a person committing an act of terrorism".

OK...

[chickenwinglim]

If you don't like it fuck off and go live Iraq

[Itsmeeman1]

The 'Anti-Terrorist' law, if it can actually be called a law is in serious doubt, isn't meant to capture 'terrorists' but to terrorise the populace by the terrorists, the Bush/Obama and the Blair administrations. THEY are the ones that terrorised the Iraqi people and slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent people in their own home, not the general public walking down England's streets.

It's a form of martial law, by another name, which is illegal in England during peace time!

SEE?

[ifurkend]

Is it still the issue entering 2012?

[3rk4u]

freedom is a way of thinking and feeling/ lock me in jail for 50 years but inside i will allways be free,only god can judge us,and no politician or manufactured law can ever dictate how we feel and think,stay strong people and wise xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[wootful93]

Fighting terrorism is racist? Lmao dumb pakis

[yabitchonmydikk]

yeah i agree with these people, only when people are harrassing other people with photography should it be a problem. Taking pictures of inanimate objects like buildings isnt a serious issue in this country and its just yet another case of the police doing stupid shit when they could be out arresting real criminals. Been seeing that for years.

[NormanAngle]

UK citizens should wear Guy/V masks on town streets at all times.

[trevgk]

THE POLICE MONITOR THIS WEB PAGE TOO.

POLITICIANS ARE NOT TELLING US WHY POLICE ARE GETTING MORE & MORE POWER IN THE WEST, I BELIEVE IT'S BECAUSE POPULATIONS ARE EXPLODING. EVEN STILL, THIS IS EXCESSIVE AND BRUTAL BEHAVIOUR BY REAL LOW LIFE POLICE WHO DON'T DESERVE THE JOB AS POLICE. THEY NOTHING MORE THAN THUGS!