News & Events in the World of Photography, Printing and Design

Photography Protest Outside Scotland Yard

25th March 2008

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is all set to stage a protest outside New Scotland Yard in order to make a stand in a fight for photographers' rights, sparked it seems by the police's recent anti-terror publicity.

NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear will stage a 'lone protest' outside the Metropolitan Police headquarters in central London on Friday at 2pm.

The NUJ's view is that in recent months there have been attacks on photographers, people having their equipment seized with proper access has being denied. They say that police officers are now routinely standing in front of photographers, holding a hand in front of their lenses, all of course preventing the taking of decent shots

A newsletter has been emailed to union members by Pete Jenkins, vice-chair of the Photographers Sub Committee, he wrote: 'Editorial photographer members have been somewhat unhappy at the Met Police's latest campaign – a series of posters suggesting that some photographers can look 'odd' and should be assumed to be up to no good.'

The action is being made as the union asserts that press photographers' have a 'lawful right' to do their job and that this is increasingly under threat. 'Restrictions on the right to protest have gone hand-in-hand with attacks on those of us who cover protests,' adds the NUJ.

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