Snapper Nicked in UK, Held 2 Days, No Charges

bmattock

bmattock

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For those who love to say "If you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear"...

News video:

http://www.proconsultancy.com/blog/...-sewer-grate-photography-held-as-a-terrorist/

Still think that if you’re innocent, you have nothing to fear from surveillance and control laws? Have a look at this news-video about Stephen Clarke, a man who was accused to taking pictures of sewer-gratings in Manchester and arrested. Though the police couldn’t find any photos of sewer-gratings on his phone (and even though “what a sewer grating looks like” isn’t a piece of specialized terrorist intelligence), he was held on suspicion of planning an act of terror, imprisoned for two days while the police searched his home, his phone and his computer. When they couldn’t find anything suspicious, they released him, but kept his DNA on file, as the biometric of someone who had been accused of plotting a terrorist act.
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I think UK photographers are going to have to unite in some way, and confront their government for fair and ethical treatment. It seems I read more and more things like this happening in the UK.
 
Unfortunately the national motto "musn't grumble" means any hard protest against this nibbling away of rights is unlikely.
 
Well some days ago I posted my experience from a country where ther is no legal base at all....seems that we need an international network or a site witha global map showing you all legal or factual restrictions
 
kully said:
Unfortunately the national motto "musn't grumble" means any hard protest against this nibbling away of rights is unlikely.
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So sad but true, we are brought up to accept everything and not complain :bang: so we get poor overpriced public transport harassed for holding a camera and spied on at every opportunity
 
wow, fingerprint and dna sample without being charged?!?!? the UK is now top of my list of places i will not be visiting any time soon.

that is truly scary. the only thing is scarier knowing the citizens won't do anything about it.
 
Hi, I have been saying for several years (unfortunately to my wife mainly!!) that we here in England are sleepwalking into a serveillance /police state. The sad part about it is that we waited for nearly 20 years to get a socialist government back in and they are the ones who seem obsessed with central control. You are no longer innocent until proven guilty, but the reverse, guilty until you can prove you are innocent. My wife is now becoming aware as she is always telling me watch where you are pointing that camera! As for taking DNA samples from people who have not been charged with any offense. I dispair!
 
If lots and lots of English citizens learned how to complain effectively their common purpose infected UK government would simply amend the law to make that a terrorist activity too, much like the "Paper Terrorist" scam in the USA.
 
robbiechad said:
Hi, I have been saying for several years (unfortunately to my wife mainly!!) that we here in England are sleepwalking into a serveillance /police state. ...

My wife is now becoming aware as she is always telling me watch where you are pointing that camera! As for taking DNA samples from people who have not been charged with any offense. I dispair!
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The police state theme and surveillance issues were picked up recently by Stella Rimington, the ex head of MI5 (Military Intelligence - home branch) who publically commented to the effect that these are real near dangers and that government ministers are culpable/responsible.

After my earlier experience with the private security guards at the 'Ministry of Justice' (quite an orwellian new labour description I think) my wife doesn't even want me to take my camera to London these days. Thousands of tourists do, but if you look slightly different the presumably you run the risk of arrest. The authorities seek to justify this on grounds of potential terrorism, although I understand that the evidence supoprting the claim is simply not extant.

Mike
 
If you complain officially, you're in their radar as a trouble-maker.

Voting in the UK is not secret either - your poll slip has a unique number which is registered against your name.

Problem is there seems no way of getting things back to being as they should be. All the main political parties are essentially the same, "Postal votes" are often rigged, electoral boundaries are changed to suit whoever at the time etc.

And our prime minister was not elected and refused to call an election !
 
And we're fast heading that way here in the U.S.A. More Socialism equals more war on the citizens, with the excuse that we are being 'protected'. Those of us that complain are considered the enemy. Where will it all lead?
 
Funny thing I have read in a few places (broadsheets) that they have never found any reconnoissance photographs when go through all the objects pcs of terrorists. Oh dear I require reeducation now. Of course my memory could be wrong.
 
Not like me to defend the state, but! Just try finding that story on any regular newspaper or TV news website, I just looked on Google and only found that one story surly the Guardian would have it all over page one.

Either 1984’s Minitrue is already here or there’s something smells bit fishy about that story.
 
emraphoto said:
wow, fingerprint and dna sample without being charged?!?!? the UK is now top of my list of places i will not be visiting any time soon.

that is truly scary. the only thing is scarier knowing the citizens won't do anything about it.
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Well, if you're arrested by the feds in the USA, it's the same thing, as of last year:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-04-16-fed-dna_N.htm

Feds to collect DNA in every arrest
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government plans to begin collecting DNA samples from anyone arrested by a federal law enforcement agency — a move intended to prevent violent crime but which also is raising concerns about the privacy of innocent people.

Using authority granted by Congress, the government also plans to collect DNA samples from foreigners who are detained, whether they have been charged or not. The DNA would be collected through a cheek swab, Justice Department spokesman Erik Ablin said Wednesday. That would be a departure from current practice, which limits DNA collection to convicted felons.

Expanding the DNA database, known as CODIS, raises civil liberties questions about the potential for misuse of such personal information, such as family ties and genetic conditions.

Ablin said the DNA collection would be subject to the same privacy laws applied to current DNA sampling. That means none of it would be used for identifying genetic traits, diseases or disorders.

Congress gave the Justice Department the authority to expand DNA collection in two different laws passed in 2005 and 2006.
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And this part: "That means none of it would be used for identifying genetic traits, diseases or disorders." is just lies. Sure, they won't do it today. They'll just pass another law a few years from now. That's how it works. Welcome to hell.
 
Sparrow said:
Not like me to defend the state, but! Just try finding that story on any regular newspaper or TV news website, I just looked on Google and only found that one story surly the Guardian would have it all over page one.

Either 1984’s Minitrue is already here or there’s something smells bit fishy about that story.
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Dictatorship rule no. 1 = control the media :D (Only joking Gordon in case you're looking !)
 
emraphoto said:
wow, fingerprint and dna sample without being charged?!?!? the UK is now top of my list of places i will not be visiting any time soon.

that is truly scary. the only thing is scarier knowing the citizens won't do anything about it.
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Yeah. UK is the worst. :D
 
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