They were also a reminder for me before putting my head on the pillow last night, in case I'd happen to wake up again not to forget reminding of what fellow blogger and -flannophil, Jams O'Donnell , on December 14th announced for January 23, thus tomorrow:
A gathering of photographers, professionals and amateurs,
at Trafalgar Square at noon,
organised to defend (y)our rights and
stop the abuse of the terror laws.
at Trafalgar Square at noon,
organised to defend (y)our rights and
stop the abuse of the terror laws.
More about the organisers and the(ir) very serious reasons to speak out you will find here.
So, if you, unlike myself, are living in or near London: Lift your backside and do it: Show those who are still not your leaders but nothing else but your representatives that you are fed up with their understanding of democracy, and that you are not willing to give in. Defend (y)our rights!
Cure your elected - and (still) diselectable (!) - representants from their prejudice that each photographer, each human being has to be treated as a potential criminal or even terrorist.
Defend your (essential) liberty!
Important rendez-vous. I hope it's crowded.
ReplyDeleteI missed your hints. I thought the following post would be about Liu Xiaobo (or maybe Hrant Dink?) Hence my comments about China, and Death.
As you can see, I never majored in subtlety.:))))
ReplyDeleteClaudia,
ReplyDeleteyou were not far from my thoughts: Liu Xiaobo, Hrant Dink and some/many others are in my mind!
I was thinking of such things when I was taking my photographs in the city centre a couple of days ago.
ReplyDeleteLikewise when I was tackled by security for taking photographs of my daughter's university. It's so stupid with pretty much everything outside available on Google Street View and much inside and outside available on all the institutions' own websites. The outside of Scotland Yard, for goodness sake (in the links re this) - we do know what that looks like but just because it's Scotland Yard a big hand gets shoved in front of the camera. The need to be seen to be doing something about security just leads to some stupid reflex response. Did the terrorists need to take photos of London buses and tube stations to blow them up? Will a photo of an airliner help them get their explosives on board? It is crazy.
ReplyDeleteI think that people who are afraid of photographers might have something to hide.
ReplyDeleteCherryPie,
ReplyDeleteand always be aware the Eyes are watching you, may they be in London, Birmingham or elsewhere. :)
Andrew,
indeed, it is crazy. I wonder: Cui bono?
The 'hype' has been nicely analysed by Giorgio Agamben in State of Exception.
Claudia,
As mostly it is not as easy as it might look on first sight.
The same argument is chosen by those who propagate respectively defend each further step into a surveillance society: 'He who does no wrong has/will have nothing to fear.'
This is wrong!
At the same time, photographers - the more when they are professionals - do have a responsibility, too.