[Ivan_M]

the Brits have gone and made it illegal to photograph police, punishable by up to ten years in jail.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29225389/

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he new act makes it a crime to "elicit, publish or communicate information" about British police or military personnel.

[Jotapay]

Already reported in this forum. I agree that it's insane.

[Ivan_M]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jotapay', 'A')lready reported in this forum. I agree that it's insane.

[MisterB]

Under section 76 Counter-Terrorism act 2008, eliciting, publishing or communicating information on members of the armed forces, intelligence services and police officers which is "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism" will be an offence carrying a maximum jail term of 10 years.

So technically I could take a photo of a police officer as long as it was of no use to a terrorist. But I would not like to try and argue that in court.

[aflurry]

Sure is going to put a wrench in the tourist tradition of taking pics with the Buckingham Palace Royal Guard.

[Quinny]

I was wrongfully arrested a few years ago (and acquitted) at a football match for refusing to 'obey' an abusive SPG police officer. The charge was initially D&D, (I wasn't drunk), then changed to inciting a riot, (there was no riot), and ended up as obstruction (not of the police, but of the highway - the same charge a shop owner would be charged with for an illegal Kenco coffe sign!) Luckily for me the 'offence' was all captured on CCTV and it showed me totally innocent of the charges. If I had been in my teens or early twenties, I would have probably have either not been able to get the CCTV tape, or I would have lost my temper and been found guilty.

It's quite common for anyone who speaks up against police violence or injustice at a football match to get arrested. The common use of mobile phones as cameras has lead to a lot of cases that would previously ended up as miscarriages of justice being thrown out of or not even reaching court. The embarassment to the police and authorities has been significant. The similar use at demonstrations has also successfully saved innocent people from arrest. The use of videotapes by police officers at demonstrations lead to a response by those being videoed. For this to be banned is not just insanity, but a serious breach of human rights.

I fear that this act will be used to supress photographic evidence and lead to a restoration of police authoritarianism without any redress.

[da23]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Quinny', 'I') fear that this act will be used to supress photographic evidence and lead to a restoration of police authoritarianism without any redress.

[Quinny]

So you've had one too have you?

[lper100km]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ivan_M', 't')he Brits have gone and made it illegal to photograph police, punishable by up to ten years in jail.

[dinopello]

Take a look at this

This is a guy here who the cops know and likes to test the system. People do call the cops on him and the cops respond. Either one of them may have not known exactly what they were talking about, but as long as everyone stayed cool it seemed to work out OK. What do you guys think ?

Here's another with the same guy. Everyone who lives in the area knows what's in the building

[bratticus]

Rodney King -> pics of cops -> riots
Oakland New Year's Day 2009 -> cell phone vids of cops -> riots

Is this the real reason?