Filed under: Journalism, NUJ | Tags: FIT, Forward Intelligence Team, Free Press, Marc Vallée, Photojournalist, Police, Police Surveillance, Press Freedom, Repressive, State, State Repression, Surveillance
BRIGHTON, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.10.08. Photojournalist Marc Vallée is filmed by an officer of the Police Foward Intelligence Team, before a protest is due to begin on Wednesday 15th October 2008 Brighton, England. Published here by kind permission of Jonathan Warren 2008. (c) Jonathan Warren 2008.
Documentary Photographer Jonathan Warren writes,
“Despite claims that Police Forward Intelligence Teams (FIT) do not target journalists, photojournalist Marc Vallée and another photographer were filmed whilst waiting for a protest to begin yesterday in Brighton.
“Police started filming journalists sitting in the car from across the road before coming over to ask what they were doing. After identifying themselves as journalists Police continued to film and question the two journalists.
“Separately when the two photographers left the car and stood under the covering of a railway station to shelter from the rain whilst they waited for the protest to begin Police told them that they would have to move and weren’t allowed to photograph near the station where protesters would be arriving.
“Later, two journalists were also assaulted by police, Marc Vallée was pushed back violently as he was photographing protesters before the march began and Guy Smallman was bitten by a police attack dog when the protest had reached it’s destination.”
More on this will be posted over the next few days.
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I’m really sorry to hear that these knuckle draggers are seemingly targeting you now. It sounds really shitty.
Somewhat bizarrely there was a FIT team filming people at the Olympic celebrations in London on Thursday, although what they felt they were obtaining in ‘intelligence’ I can’t imagine!
Hang in there and stay safe.
Michael
Comment by creative19 October 18, 2008 @ 5:10 amThanks for the comment Michael. I think you maybe right about them targeting me. It does feel like it. The FIT at the Olympic celebrations! I think I’m going to have to ask around about that one.
Comment by marcvallee October 18, 2008 @ 7:04 am[...] other photographers, Marc Vallée and Jonathan Warren have described how they were filmed and questioned before the start of the [...]
Pingback by >Re: PHOTO » Blog Archive » Police attack Photographers October 18, 2008 @ 8:55 am[...] information is on Marc Vallée’s Blog and Jonathan Warren’s [...]
Pingback by Photographers under surveillance…again! « Life Spy October 18, 2008 @ 12:50 pm[...] fellow criminals…") Yet more:= >Re: PHOTO Blog Archive Police attack Photographers Police target journalists at protest against arms manufacturer EDO MBM in Brighton (15.10.08). marc … __________________ [...]
Pingback by Advice to photographers in Uk (was "My fellow criminals...") - Seite 23 - Leica User Forum October 18, 2008 @ 6:36 pm[...] Jeremy Dear the General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has been invited to give evidence this Tuesday (21.10.08) to the Joint Committee on Human Rights about police surveillance and harassment of journalists and photographers. The committee consists of members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and is charged with considering human rights issues in the UK. The NUJ has a huge amount of evidence to present including what happened last week. [...]
Pingback by Joint Committee on Human Rights - NUJ to give evidence on police surveillance and harassment of journalists « marc vallée October 19, 2008 @ 7:28 pm[...] Jeremy Dear the General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has been invited to give evidence this Tuesday to the Joint Committee on Human Rights about police surveillance and harassment of journalists and photographers. The committee consists of members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and is charged with considering human rights issues in the UK. The NUJ has a huge amount of evidence to present including what happened last week. [...]
Pingback by Marc Vallée » Blog Archive » Joint Committee on Human Rights - NUJ to give evidence on police surveillance and harassment of journalists March 18, 2009 @ 3:00 pm