Paranoia Run Amok: California Reporters Detained For Taking Pictures

Paranoia Run Amok: California Reporters Detained For Taking Pictures

www.businessinsider.com

Reporter Sander Wolf was taking some close-up pictures of wildflowers, and metal corrosion at an oil refinery when he was approached by Long Beach police officer Asif Kahn.

According to the Long Beach Post, while shooting pictures in June, Wolf was approached by Kahn who told him he'd received a call about his picture taking.

Though Wolf was breaking no laws, and doing nothing illegal, Kahn asked to see Wolf's identification. Surprised, the photographer asked if he had to

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thankfully our motherland is safe with homeland security training our law enforcement to search ANYONE taking pictures.

no im not serious...

the article links to another incidint in june where a reporter was rushed by 8 officers for taking pics of traffic...

seems strange to me that Israeli citizens can film the WTC collapses like they knew it was going to happen and they are at home doing talk shows about it. thanks homeland security...

I honestly dont have any problems with most police officers now that i dont live in a big city,
that's because the police state system used is like a corporate money making machine and it is turning police into a group, a group to be feared when they should be our protectors who we trust.

www.businessinsider.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by -W1LL


I'm an amateur photographer, and I await the day this happens to me. Once contacted, my first question will be for them to state the exact law I broke. Failing that I will continue with what I was doing. As soon as the hands are placed upon my self, the first call will be to my attorney to file a massive lawsuit. I will retire a very wealthy person!

It beats the heck out of going after real criminals who, you know, might actually hurt you.
Photographers make easy targets since they're usually weighed down with cameras, tripods and bags.
Seriously though, detaining people for taking pictures? Ludicrous in most situations.

I remember in the 80s we mocked the Soviet Union for nonsense like this. Their system was rotten and freedom would triumph. Ho ho ho.

20 years for satire to become normality.

Remember citizens , be pure , be vigilant, behave.

reply to post by -W1LL


In five years it will be illegal to own a camera without a license from the authorities.

Prophetic words indeed:

From a 1944 Norman Thomas speech: “The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of “liberalism”, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.”“I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democratic Party has adopted our platform.”

Nikita Khrushchev: “We can’t expect the American people to jump from capitalism to Communism but we can assist their leaders by giving them small amounts of Socialism until they awaken one day to find out they have Communism.” He also said that Communism would take over America “without firing a shot.”

Karl Marx: “A new revolution is possible only in consequences of a new crisis.” We have a crisis. As a matter of fact, unless the world stock markets stabilize, the entire world could be looking at a financial tsunami. Many nations, including America, could be ripe for being taken over by unsavory political efforts “without firing a shot.”· This is Karl Marx speaking: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” You will produce what you can using your talents, and then the government will use its power to take your earnings and spread them to others who are unable (or unwilling) to do as well. It isn’t by accident that the Soviet Union failed! It wasn’t the “worker’s paradise,” and it won’t work in America!· Obama is doing is best along with a Democrat controlled Senate to follow Karl Marx, Saul Alinsky and to prove Norman Thomas Nikita Khrushchev correction how to socialize America.

Originally posted by justwokeup
I remember in the 80s we mocked the Soviet Union for nonsense like this. Their system was rotten and freedom would triumph. Ho ho ho.

20 years for satire to become normality.

Remember citizens , be pure , be vigilant, behave.

Indeed... an you aren't the only one to notice that..

Is this Russia? Or the Middle East? I remember the list from 40 years ago, when I first went to the Soviet Union: no bridges, no junctions, no railway stations, no government buildings, no soldiers and, above all, no police. Point your camera at any of these and you were under arrest.

How we used to mock the naivety, the paranoia, the Stalinist control. How striking was this example of totalitarian mentality, where even benign attempts by tourists to snap daily life were treated as full-blown espionage. At least in the West we understood that a good shot of a majestic bridge or the sight of a policeman's back among the throng in the square was not a threat to the State's security.

www.timesonline.co.uk...


And let's not suffer under the illusion that "liberals" are the only source of this ruckus. Conservatives are just as guilty for cultivating the climate of fear that has led so many to willing give up their liberty for a grain of (make believe) security.

Sounds like someone needs a lawyer and demand the phone recordings of the call they received about this person and the radio recording of the officer receiving the compliant. Only then will we see corrupt police departments changing it policy.

People always say police only enforce the laws, if you don't like a law blah blah get them to change it. I don't remember them passing a law to allow police to detain anyone they want cause the officer is too lazy to do real police work. Do police officers think for themselves or what, harassing a person for taking pictures.
Like a terrorist needs to visit a site to take pictures. All they have to do is use google earth or street view to get all the pictures they want of that area.

Harassing people for taking pictures is just cops on a power trip.

reply to post by haarvik


What is on the horizon is not socialism but Fascism coming from right wing control freaks.

Another relevant quote...

When Fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag waving a cross.

Sinclair Lewis.

those are some scary quotes / memories... and although I was young I still remember the Berlin wall coming down and learning from my parents what it was all about... along with the fear of the Cuban missile crisis.


it is a sad most of our country has learned nothing from our history, like all empires before us we are repeating the same mistakes that ended up burning entire cultures out of existence.

I make my living with my video cameras and got my start in news. This stuff really, really ticks me off. You've just tipped the scales and encouraged me to study and collate these new "laws."

I don't hang out on the news photog boards like I used to, but I'm gonna scrounge around and see what the word is. The national and affiliate news orgs probably won't even complain. I was appalled in my time at the stations to see stories "killed" for political/business reasons.

Things sure have changed in a few short years. Russia indeed.

reply to post by The GUT


I too make my living in back of and sometimes in front of a video camera.
I was recently rousted by LEOs shooting a commercial for a local restaurant that was AFTRA sanctioned with all the proper permits. If the mgr. of the restaurant hadn't of intervened we would have been taken downtown, had our gear confiscated and been held for "investigation"........

Cameras are now very scary units to the authorities.

Simply way to beat this...

Flash mob of 1000 photographers taking pictures.

Can they arrest 1000 people?



last I checked, the common people out number those in power or quasi-power or self-power.

Originally posted by whaaa
reply to post by haarvik

 

What is on the horizon is not socialism but Fascism coming from right wing control freaks.

Another relevant quote...

When Fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag waving a cross.

Sinclair Lewis.

Not as simple as you think, buddy. All politics fall next to each other in a circle. So literally the ammount of difference between Comunism and Fascism the the difference between a Conservative Democrat and a Liberal Republican. It doesn't matter which one we fall into, sicne they have little to no difference between the 2.

Originally posted by CynicalDrivel





Not as simple as you think, buddy. All politics fall next to each other in a circle. So literally the ammount of difference between Comunism and Fascism the the difference between a Conservative Democrat and a Liberal Republican. It doesn't matter which one we fall into, sicne they have little to no difference between the 2.

Actually buddy, I think you made it more simple than I. I think there is a huge difference between me now and the redneck conservative I used to be. I actually think for myself and don't parrot back the Rushisms so popular among the more right leaning folks. I explore other thought processes and ideas instead of just latching on to the most comfortable ideology du juor. I put the value of people way ahead of the corporate oligarchy now speeding us down the road to tyranny.

topic.....filmmakers, don't be intimidated by those wanting to cover up corruption and brutality; but also film acts of gentleness, compassion and heroism by those sworn to "serve and protect" and share it on the www.
Always be discrete and never confrontational. Discretion is the better part of valor. Be careful and film your world.....WE WANT TO SEE IT!!!

Wait, who's parroting rushisms? The only thing I can remember from the guy is Count Taxula and Femenazi. That and the dang Spatula City commercials. Besides, Rush is a NeoCon.

Two Ideologies are next to each other when they do the same things, yet get there by different conclusions.