Filed under: Friends Work, Journalism, NUJ | Tags: Camp for Climate Action, Climate Camp, Climate Change, Covering Climate Camp, Environment, Environmental, Forward Intelligence Team, Free Press, Jason N. Parkinson, Media Freedom, Media Restriction, Media Workers, Metropolitan Police, National Union of Journalists, Photography, Police and Criminal Evidence Act, Police Surveillance, Press Freedom, Press Freedom Collateral Damage, State, State Repression, Surveillance
KINGSNORTH, KENT, UNITED KINGDOM – 05.8.08. Police stop and search Jason N. Parkinson, Video & Print Journalist, outside the main gates of the Camp for Climate Action Kingsnorth, Kent, England on Tuesday 5th August 2008. Published here by kind permission of Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk. (c) Jess Hurd, 2008.
“Covering Climate Camp: Part One” – Current TV.
“Covering Climate Camp: Part Two” – Current TV.
My good friend and colleague Jason N. Parkinson has made a film about journalists covering Climate Camp in Kent last summer. Click on the links above to watch the film and this is what Jason had to say about the film.
“In August 2008, environmental protestors set up camp in Kent, England, to protest the current and newly proposed E-On coal-fired power stations at Kingsnorth. Part one of the film documents not the protest movement, but the journalists trying to cover the story for independent and mainstream news organisations.
“In some of the worst scenes of police interference the press were subjected to stop-and-search, harassment, aggression and violence, which led to the National Union of Journalists and the industry media publically slamming the police on the grounds of press freedom restriction.
“In Part Two of two of the film the policing gets heavier, journalists trying to cover the story for independent and mainstream news organisations face surveillance, harassment, endless stop-and-searches and assault – they are even followed by a police unit to a McDonald’s restaurant.”
Filed under: Friends Work, Journalism, NUJ | Tags: Basildon Council, Counter-Terrorism, Dale Farm, Danny Sheridan, Free Press, Irish Travellers, Jess Hurd, Media Freedom, Media Restriction, Media Workers, National Policing Improvement Agency, National Union of Journalists, Nora Quilligan, PACE, Photography, Police and Criminal Evidence Act, Press Freedom, Press Freedom Collateral Damage, Section 43, Section 44, Special Procedure Material, Terrorism, Terrorism Act, Terrow Law and Photography, War on Terror
TEARSHEET: Jess Hurd’s center page pictures in The Guardian on Saturday 13 December 2008. Later on she was detained under the Terrorism Act. Published here by kind permission of Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk. (c) Jess Hurd, 2008.
“Terrorism Act cited over wedding photos” - pressgazette.co.uk
“Photographer mulls legal action” - AP
“UPDATE: Audio of altercation between police officers and press photographer emerges” – British Journal of Photography
“Press photographer detained under Terrorism Act” -British Journal of Photography.
“Photographer at wedding accused of taking pictures for terrorists”- National Union of Journalists.
“Traveller wedding belles go to town – in the shadow of mass eviction” – The Guardian.
Audio: Jess Hurd – Stop and Search – S44 Terrorism Act.
My good friend and colleague Jess Hurd (who over the weekend attended the European Federation of Journalists event “Photojournalists: An endangered species in Europe?” in Paris) was stopped and searched last week on UN Human Rights Day under the S44 of the Terrorism Act by police. The officers “forcibly took” her camera which under S44 there do not have the power to do so.
Click here to listen to an audio file of the stop and search and below is the full statement from National Union of Journalists (NUJ).
“A photographer documenting the persecution of Irish travellers in the UK was herself subjected to police intimidation…on UN Human Rights Day.
“The NUJ has condemned the abuse of the police’s stop and search powers after they forcibly took photographer Jess Hurd’s camera from her and detained her for 45 minutes under S44 of the Terrorism Act whilst she was covering a traveller wedding in London Docklands, part of a long term documentary project on the persecution of travellers.
“Whilst clearly photographing a wedding, the pictures of which appeared in Saturday’s Guardian newspaper, Jess was detained under s44 on the grounds she could be carrying out hostile reconnaissance for a terrorist assault.”
NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear said: “This is yet another absurd misuse of the s44 powers which are designed to allow the police to detain those actively involved in carrying out a terrorist activity not to stop press photographers carrying out their legitimate business.
“Despite the government’s warm words about the right to photograph in public and new Home Office guidelines it appears the routine abuse of these powers goes on.
“How ironic that those documenting persecution and intimidation on UN Human Rights Day should be subject to such abuse and intimidation”.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM. Irish travellers Nora Quilligan and Danny Sheridan from Dale Farm celebrate their wedding day. This was the third of four weddings held in quick succession by families at Dale Farm anxious to solemnize marriages before the New Year when Court of Appeal judges may rule that Basildon council can put into action its much delayed eviction operation. Published here by kind permission of Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk. (c) Jess Hurd, 2008.
Filed under: Friends Work, Political Protest Project | Tags: More4, Taking Liberties
Taking Liberties poster.
It was great to see Taking Liberties on More4 last night. Well done one and all. But the person who was responsible for splicing the ad breaks should be shot!
Filed under: Friends Work, Journalism, NUJ | Tags: Photoforum, Working Photographers
PRESS FREEDOM PROTEST. To highlight attacks on the freedom of the media, NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear stages a lone protest outside New Scotland Yard, London. 28/03/08. Copyright (c) Facundo Arrizabalaga. Published here by kind permission of Facundo Arrizabalaga.
Photoforum, is a new way for like-minded photographers to discuss images. The inaugural event will be taking place this Thursday, April 3rd and will be showcasing the work of Lefteris Pitarakis, Daniel Berehulak and Helen Atkinson as well as the opportunity for others to put their name in the hat for an ‘open slot’ to bring their pictures on the day for showing and discussing them.
Anyone interested in one of the open slots should bring their work on a DC or USB flash drive in an easily read format (JPEG preferred). Photoforum is free and is kindly hosted by Jacobs in their pro lounge which is downstairs at their store at 74 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1EU. The event starts promptly at 6.00pm and will finish at 8.00pm, after which their will be an opportunity to adjourn to a local pub and continue the conversation.
The event will run monthly on the first Thursday in each month and will become a place for working photographers from across the spectrum to bring images, ideas, photo-stories approaches and work in progress for supportive debate and criticism.
Plus I have been asked to bring along the Slideshow of the Press Freedom Protest from last week.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with Jess Hurd.
NUJ PRESS FREEEDOM PROTEST. Copyright (c) Felipe Trueba. Published here by kind permission of Felipe Trueba.
Filed under: Art, Friends Work, Journalism | Tags: MSF, Women Are Heroes. JR
“JESSIS JOHN”, Liberia. Published here by kind permission of JR.
Today we hand the Blog over to the French photographer and street artist JR. All images and text have been used here by kind permission of JR. As I’m sure you can tell I’m a big fan. So I hope you get as much out of his work as I do.
“Women Are Heroes” “Women Are Heroes!” proclaim Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the artivist JR on the occasion of International Women’s Day. JR has visited Sierra Leone, Liberia, southern Sudan and Kenya, returning with striking portraits of women taken with the help of his 28 millimetre lens.He wants to share their stories, first by exhibiting them in their country of origin, then in the framework of spectacular exhibitions hosted in several cities throughout the world.As from 8th march 2008, the faces and expressions of eight women will first of all be splashed across the walls of Brussels for a month. Their gigantic portraits will make their presence felt in the streets of the town centre reflecting how vital their role is in the daily routines of their countries.By asking them to pull a face, JR shows the spark of life… the expressiveness of their faces testifies to their strength, their courage and their will to fight which keeps them going, keeps them alive.
“Women Are Heroes!” in honour of the fate of these women, both strong and vulnerable, who display extraordinary strength in all circumstances, including the most extreme.
They do not always have guaranteed access to health care, so MSF responds to their specific health needs in numerous countries.
For MSF, this collaboration is part of its campaign on women in humanitarian crises launched last June, whilst for JR, this first exhibition in brussels is the beginning of the third phase of his 28 millimetres artistic project – following on from “Portrait of a generation” (2004-2006) and “Face 2 Face” (2007).
“LIBERIA MONROVIA BRIDGE”. Published here by kind permission of JR.
Link : www.jr-art.net
Link : www.womenareheroes.be
Link : http://face2faceproject.com
Link : www.azg.be
A big well done for my good friend Andreas who has just been chosen by PDN (a some what respected ‘photo’ magazine) as one of 30 emerging photographers to watch out for! Andreas is a very talented photographer and I’m proud to say I had a little bit to do with him getting into photography. On hearing the this news Andreas said: “I’m not sure why, but nonetheless I’m pretty stoked”
Filed under: Friends Work | Tags: Hugo Chavez, Platon, Putin, Time Magazine
PUTIN BY PLATON, 2007. Published here by kind permission of Platon. (c) Platon, 2007.
My good friend Andreas and his boss Platon went off on a trip to Moscow a few weeks back to shoot Vladimir Putin for Time Magazine. I’m told that the shoot took 5 minutes! Nice work if you can get it boys! The only head of state I have shot lately was Hugo Chávez (2006) but I had the whole UK press pack next to me at the time, but I did get to spend a bit more time with him.
Filed under: Art, Friends Work, Youth Culture | Tags: Boys, gay, Gay Boys, Queer, Stuart Sandord
PRINT ABOVE : Blend shoot. (c) Stuart Sandford. Published here by kind permission of Stuart Sandford.
I’ve know the artist Stuart Sandford for something like five years and his a good friend. Back then I called him the queer Terry Richardson and I still think that fits the bill today.
“While it may be tempting to dismiss queer British photographer Stuart Sandford as nothing more than another kid with a camera, a closer look finds that Sandford’s images successfully interlock the snapshot aesthetic with more thoughtful subjectivity. The result is a delicate, yet empowered portrayal that eschews piteousness in favor of a more light-hearted, exhilarating self” – queerty.com
Images : www.stuartsandford.co.uk
Filed under: Art, Friends Work, Youth Culture | Tags: Brian Kenny, Marko Brozic, Slava Mogutin
PRINT ABOVE : Marko by Marko. (c) Marko Brozic. Published here by kind permission of Marko Brozic.
This is Marko Brozic, a model from Slovenia (who now lives in London) who has worked with Slava Mogutin & Brian Kenny. Marko likes to turn his own camera on himself to creative powerful and edgy self-portraits that have a beauty and frank honesty about them. Within a narcissistic context these images show both the physical and emotional “self” but it’s our own voyeurism that we should take note of when looking at his work.
Images : www.myspace.com/markobrozic
