Rights Of Photographers
EDM number 371 in 2009-10, proposed by Austin Mitchell on 07/12/2009.
Categorised under the topics of Leisure, Terrorism and Tourism.
That this House views with concern the rash of incidents of photographers, both amateur and professional, being stopped by over-officious police constables and police community support officers (PCSOs) from taking photographs of St Paul's Cathedral, fish and chip shops in Chatham, the Houses of Parliament, the Millennium Bridge, Christmas lights in Burgess Hill, strategic buildings in Hull and other public places, all under the provisions in anti-terrorist legislation against eliciting information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism; considers that it ill becomes a state which trains more cameras on its people than any other on the globe to harrass its citizens while it uses theirs; commends the view of Lord Carlisle that the police should show common sense; and urges the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Association of Police Officers to inform the police and PCSOs that photography is a right as well as an enjoyable pastime for both tourists and a large section of the population and to educate constables and PCSOs on the rights of photographers in their training so that they can recognise that the joy photography and happy snapping brings to citizens and tourists alike should not be inhibited.
This motion has been signed by a total of 79 MPs, 2 of these signatures have been withdrawn.
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