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Illegal to photograph police?

  • 15-11-2009 01:20AM
    #1
    Smyth
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 714 ✭✭✭


    If there's a legal forum here, sorry. I missed it.

    In the north doing a spot of photography around Belfast. One picture had a police van in the middle of the street with 3 fully kitted out officers. Looked nice amongst the general shoppers so I took a few snaps.

    They came sprinting up to me in the middle of the street shouting in a really aggressive manner, demanding to see the photo and insisting I delete it in front of them.

    I don't have a clue about the law up there and I couldn't be arsed with the hassle, so I deleted it and moved on. Even so, when I asked them why, two of them grabbed my arm and and marched me towards the van. I laid my ak on the ground and removed my balaclava so I could hear them better, and they said I could have been a possible terrorist doing recon and that if I put up anymore "resistance" that I would spend the night in a cell and face charges under some terrorist act. Bull****?

    Quoting one of them
    "Ye're nat in the south naeh boy. De yee realise the climate we're in?!"

    ****ing paranoia is rank up there.

    Anyone know where we stand on issues like that down south? Is it illegal?
    I've always found the gardaí pretty sound and level headed so I was shocked to say the least.


«13

Comments

  • #2
    wudangclan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,883 ✭✭✭wudangclan


    It might be something to do with the terrorists trying to kill them.


  • #3
    Smyth
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 714 ✭✭✭Smyth


    guilty until proven innocent now is it?
    Orwell echoes...


  • #4
    john-joe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 797 ✭✭✭john-joe


    No, not illegal (unless you taken them at night through their bedroom window)


  • #5
    wudangclan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,883 ✭✭✭wudangclan


    For all they know your a terrorist intelligence officer acting the dumb tourist.


  • #6
    robbie_998
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,222 ✭✭✭robbie_998


    john-joe wrote: »
    (unless you taken them at night through their bedroom window)

    ah crap :(


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  • #7
    gamgsam
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 292 ✭✭gamgsam


    Speak up, I cant hear you over all those gunshots

    Yeah ive been told my pictures of gardai were illegal before but managed to get away before they took the camera as they said they were entitled to do. I know thats not true but they would have taken it anyway due to the content hahaha.

    In fairness though, when im working, id be fairly annoyed if you came up and took a photo of me and just walked away. Pulling the terrorism card though! A bit too far i think.


  • #8
    citizen_p
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,494 ✭✭✭citizen_p


    its no baghdad but there is still ira killings in the past few months.
    so i understand why they would be worried.

    you could be going after them or their famillies etc...


  • #9
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,315 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Law passed in Britain banning it, dunno if it applies to NI though.


  • #10
    jumpguy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,962 ✭✭✭jumpguy


    Smyth wrote: »
    If there's a legal forum here, sorry. I missed it.

    In the north doing a spot of photography around Belfast. One picture had a police van in the middle of the street with 3 fully kitted out officers. Looked nice amongst the general shoppers so I took a few snaps.

    They came sprinting up to me in the middle of the street shouting in a really aggressive manner, demanding to see the photo and insisting I delete it in front of them.

    I don't have a clue about the law up there and I couldn't be arsed with the hassle, so I deleted it and moved on. Even so, when I asked them why, two of them grabbed my arm and and marched me towards the van. I laid my ak on the ground and removed my balaclava so I could hear them better, and they said I could have been a possible terrorist doing recon and that if I put up anymore "resistance" that I would spend the night in a cell and face charges under some terrorist act. Bull****?

    Quoting one of them
    "Ye're nat in the south naeh boy. De yee realise the climate we're in?!"

    ****ing paranoia is rank up there.

    Anyone know where we stand on issues like that down south? Is it illegal?
    I've always found the gardaí pretty sound and level headed so I was shocked to say the least.
    Well, fair enough, he atleast explained to you the aggressive actions. It's sad it has to be that way, but they're human too, and are on high alert all the time. It's fair enough they're paranoid.


    TBH, the way you describe it sounds over zealous of them, but then again, we'll only ever know the story from you're perspective.


  • #11
    Smyth
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 714 ✭✭✭Smyth


    Mousey- wrote: »
    its no baghdad but there is still ira killings in the past few months.
    so i understand why they would be worried.

    you could be going after them or their famillies etc...

    Yeah, understandable, but the way in which they did it was way over the fuppin top. I mean people stopped and started to watch. Felt like I was on that show "Cops"


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  • #12
    Saibh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,431 ✭✭✭✭Saibh


    Smyth wrote: »
    I laid my ak on the ground and removed my balaclava so I could hear them better

    Hard to know if your thread is serious or not when you add this part to it.




    More than likely, would think it is a security issue, as Mousey- states.






  • #13
    artielange
    Closed Accounts Posts: 307 ✭✭artielange


    I don't know the answer to your question first off.

    But I was watching a show and 2 English bobbies told a man that was video taping them that it was against the law and telling him a bunch of crap(he was on his property I think on his door step). Well it turned out he's some amateur videographer and tells them off, they keep insisting its against the law and tells them maybe they should radio their sergeant because their wrong. You see them on the radio and they just walk away.

    Trust me on this,it was a lot more interesting watching it than having to read the above butchery job.:)

    How did they know you were from the South? Next time try an American accent;)


  • #14
    Hendrix89
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 649 ✭✭✭Hendrix89


    Ridiculous carry on! Although far from unusual behavior from the PSNI unfortunately...


  • #15
    eth0_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,846 ✭✭✭✭eth0_


    It's been illegal to photograph members of the RUC and now the PSNI since..forever.
    And for VERY good reason. These people are still at risk from paramilitaries, just for doing their job, after all.


  • #16
    Smyth
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 714 ✭✭✭Smyth


    jumpguy wrote: »
    the way you describe it sounds over zealous of them, but then again, we'll only ever know the story from you're perspective.

    I read that with a Morgan Freeman voice. Sounds like you're signing off on a documentary of sorts.


  • #17
    john-joe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 797 ✭✭✭john-joe


    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/16/protest-police-liberty-central

    Any help?


  • #18
    artielange
    Closed Accounts Posts: 307 ✭✭artielange


    Smyth wrote: »
    Yeah, understandable, but the way in which they did it was way over the fuppin top. I mean people stopped and started to watch. Felt like I was on that show "Cops"

    Yeah theres 10 video's on youtube titled Cops over react to photograpgher, terrorist gets away


  • #19
    citizen_p
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,494 ✭✭✭citizen_p


    could be like in films though..........guy plays stupid but gets the info.....2 days later they are dead...

    this thread could be part of an alibi


  • #20
    Princess Consuela Bananahammock
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,779 ✭✭✭✭Princess Consuela Bananahammock


    There was a thread about this in the photography forum some time ago. Someone highlighed a case where a guy taking pics of the Blackpool Illuminations was forced to delete them because there were police in them. Despite the fact that the city council was running a photogrpahy exhibition at the time/.

    But yes, you're right, they are paranoid in the UK. Whether they've got just cause is another can of worms.

    Everything I don't like is either woke or fascist - possibly both - pick one.



  • #21
    Smyth
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 714 ✭✭✭Smyth


    Mousey- wrote: »
    could be like in films though..........guy plays stupid but gets the info.....2 days later they are dead...

    this thread could be part of an alibi

    eh uh um ahh why NO. Not at all...;)


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  • #22
    aDeener
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,487 ✭✭✭aDeener


    that would explain quite a bit to me. i have noticed on pen pictures for football matches in local papers where everyone elses pictures would be included but those who had occupation as garda were blanked out.


  • #23
    G_R
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 5,028 Mod ✭✭✭✭G_R


    amacachi wrote: »
    Law passed in Britain banning it, dunno if it applies to NI though.

    well seen as its in Britain and all....


  • #24
    artielange
    Closed Accounts Posts: 307 ✭✭artielange


    dannym08 wrote: »
    well seen as its in Britain and all....

    I smell troubles


  • #25
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭RATM


    dannym08 wrote: »
    well seen as its in Britain and all....

    Not all of Englands laws are the exact same as NI.

    However, when it comes to photography Id say the PSNI are stricter than their mainland counterparts. It's culturally enshrined in them to flip at even the sight of a camera whereas the mainlanders haven't exactly been having regular action from terrorists in the same way.


  • #26
    source
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,375 ✭✭✭source


    Different country, different laws, here you can take a picture of anything so long as it's in a public place, you're not harassing anybody by constantly taking their picture etc.

    If i had to police in the north, i would probably act in the same manner as those psni officers, if you went up and politely informed them of what you were doing i'm sure there wouldn't have been a problem.


  • #27
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,683 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    No such law applies in the states. Evidenced by the slew of "Fascist Police State" :rolleyes: videos you see on youtube etc. Thats not to say police cant be brutal everywhere, just in America youre a lot more free to film them in the act. Though the candid use of Tazers doesnt really help their case.

    Its a useless CT measure but its a measure all the same. Anyone doing any scouting has their brain and a notepad. Do they come sprinting down to a lad taking notes? or "Texting"? Pictures are handy and all, but I would think they would hardly be a requirement should you want to plan something appalling and stupid.


  • #28
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,315 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    dannym08 wrote: »
    well seen as its in Britain and all....

    Britain and the UK are two different things, a lot of laws passed in the UK Parliament only apply to England and Wales and to a lesser extent only England. A lot of laws passed don't apply to Scotland and Northern Ireland. See also: Abortion legality in the UK.


  • #29
    GLaDOS
    Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 23,257 Mod ✭✭✭✭GLaDOS


    Smyth wrote: »
    I laid my ak on the ground and removed my balaclava so I could hear them better
    If I saw someone with an AK47 and a balaclava taking pictures of me I'd be a wee bit suspicious myself :)

    Cake, and grief counseling, will be available at the conclusion of the test



  • #30
    skibum
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,089 ✭✭✭skibum


    artielange wrote: »
    I don't know the answer to your question first off.

    But I was watching a show and 2 English bobbies told a man that was video taping them that it was against the law and telling him a bunch of crap(he was on his property I think on his door step). Well it turned out he's some amateur videographer and tells them off, they keep insisting its against the law and tells them maybe they should radio their sergeant because their wrong. You see them on the radio and they just walk away.

    Trust me on this,it was a lot more interesting watching it than having to read the above butchery job.:)

    Think this is the vid you are talking about:


    I posted this before but it was taken down........


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  • #31
    jumpguy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,962 ✭✭✭jumpguy


    Smyth wrote: »
    I read that with a Morgan Freeman voice. Sounds like you're signing off on a documentary of sorts.
    Who's to say I'm not Morgan Freeman?


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