Andrew Wiard and a couple of other press photographers report an obstructive encounter with private security guards outside City Hall (the Greater London Authority building) today. As Andrew puts it 'I was photographing a demonstration by RMT tube cleaners & supporters.'I saw and photographed a security guard removing a poster from a barrier. I then saw and photographed another security guard telling a demonstrator to stop handing out leaflets.'
'That security guard then shouted at me to stop taking photographs, put his hand in front of my lens, and said I had no permission to take his photograph. I replied that I did not need it and that he had no right to stop me taking photographs. Another guard said we, and there were other photographers present, had no right to take photographs ( meaning, at all ).'
'An RMT official then stepped in to say the guards had no right to prevent their demonstration. A more senior security character then spoke of calling the police, to which I replied yes, get the police. Shortly afterwards they backed off.'
'I would like the NUJ to protest in the strongest possible terms to the Mayor at this attempt to ban press, or for that matter any, photography outside his front door.'
Security on the site is the responsibility of More London Estates, where apparently more means less as far as photography is concerned. Mayor Boris's predecessor Ken Livingstone infamously pioneered anti-photographer restrictions in London, at one time considering a ridiculous city-wide ban whilst enthusiastically supporting the deployment of CCTV. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose?
Boris' only interest is to make piles of money out of those entering London. He doesn't really want to ban photography because he is making a pile from commercial photographers. Here's a link to guidelines and prices his office charge for commercial shoots at Trafalgar Square. It's a £1000 per hour permit.
Some Mayor eh? http://www.london.gov.uk/trafalgarsquare/manage/guidelines_filming.jsp
PS
If the link doesn't appear, google photo shoot permit cost at Trafalgar Square and be horrified.
Yeah, there should be dialogue to prevent such from happening again... Think of all the tourists getting banned from taking photography. What would they think?
I think someone living in that area should contact the MP and bring about a meeting between whomever that is and the More London people and get this thrashed out and made public. This sort of Draconian behaviour HAS to stop - and soon. Even in 1984, I don't recall Big Brother banning photography - thoughts maybe, but no photography.
But then again, you have to think before you shoot so perhaps it's but a small step away...
Frightening, truly frightening.
I an a 40 year old photography student who has just returned home after an extreamly unpleasant encounter with the Moreland Security team. A fellow (female)classmate, my son and I went down to the Thames walk area to get the cliche 'City Hall with the Bridge in the background' shot for my locations shoot end of year project, which was to photograph a person in front of a lit up building at twilight.
The security men were agressive and rude, shouted at us (calling me 'darling')and basically stopped me photographing with a mixture of threats and bullying tactics. I was in fact, reduced to tears.
My classmate and I are quite clear on current legislation concerning photography on public and private property and quietly stated our rights to the guards. This only made them more angry. I showed our student IDs as soon as they questioned us, explaining the nature of the shoot and making it clear we weren't professional. They shouted us down and didn't seen able to decide whether it was our canon D40, mayamia RZ67, student status, bags on the wall(one each) or not having permits that was 'illegal'. When we offered to stop whatever behavior was so offensive (??)if they specified what it was , they said 'no' because they knew we were students and not tourists. They weren't hassling all the other people out photographing, even those with tripods( a necessity for a good night shot). When they threatened to call the police, we thought that was a good idea, but when they saw this they pretended to and doubled their agression instead. They said we were 'disturbing the peace' and that the other people were allowed to photograph because they were tourists, while we were students.
If photography is banned in the area next to the river, near the scoop, why are there no signs?
There is no mention on the City Hall website or the More London site, of permits being needed by amamture photographers or anyone else for that matter. I understand permits where commercial gain is the goal or masses of equipment make you a health and safty risk, but this was neither. These jobsworth guards are an embarrassment to their uniform and our city.
Witness the Effect this is having on commerce in London...
FROM: http://tfgtv.com/rates.html
London Surcharge
London has, thanks to its combination of transport policies (congestion and parking charges etc.) and red tape surrounding the simplest of film or video shoots on its streets, become one of the least practical and most stressful places to film in the UK. It's not that we don't like London or Londoners. But frankly, we feel the 'city fathers' have made it a very difficult and unwelcoming place to get through a day's work.
Working in London is always now a stressful experience for our crews. And where once a London shoot was something to look forward to it's now something people dread to the extent where we need to pay more to persuade crews to go down there.
There is therefore a £400 per day surcharge for each crew of up to two people engaged on a shoot that takes us into the London congestion charge area and an additional charge of £150 per day for each extra crew member.
Afraid 'amateur' photographers are also banned from More London. On Monday afternoon I was outside the Ernst & Young HQ and saw two tourists, one of whom was just about to take a pleasing shot, with City Hall in the middle distance and part of Tower Bridge in the background.
An Ernst & Young goon stopped them, so today (24 March) I walked into the Ernst & Young lobby and asked a receptionist why their guards were stopping tourists from taking pix. She said 'hostile reconnaissance -- they could be taking pictures of our building.'
She then asked my name, so I dreamed up the name 'Susan Kelman', and the receptionist duly wrote it down.
What on earth is going on? Are they getting paranoid in the run-up to the G20 protests perhaps?
There are photos of the buildings on the More London website anyway.
All the best with your campaign.
Looks like they are exceeding even their own tough guidelines. Last time I had a run in with these guys they said it was OK to take photos on the Thames walkway area but once you move further into more-London it is "amateur photographers only". It looks like they are policing the walkway now too.
It shouldn't have happened. But are they Boris's goon's or what remains of Ken's goon squad still working to old standing orders? I doubt we'll ever find out...
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