UK: Police (ab)use of POA

From The British Journal of Photography:
Metropolitan Police APOLOGISES for using Public Order Act against photographers and journalists at G20 protests. Read: http://bit.ly/u59G

Press organisations have documented instances of police officers abusing their powers during G20 protests. Our report: http://bit.ly/vIFbS

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Originally Posted by SmartWombat

From The British Journal of Photography:
Metropolitan Police APOLOGISES for using Public Order Act against photographers and journalists at G20 protests. Read: http://bit.ly/u59G

Press organisations have documented instances of police officers abusing their powers during G20 protests. Our report: http://bit.ly/vIFbS

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So if I understand that right, under Order 14 the Police can decide when and for how long to declare a Police State? Hmmmm.

Well, they've already taken away their guns, why not the rest of their rights...

It scares me that Homeland Security will erode our rights much the same way here in the states.

Yes, and that's without using the Counter Terrorism Act which gives even more powers.
You can be held for up to 28 days under that, and if it's not a high profile operation I suppose you just vanish.
If there's no press to report on your arrest, who knows where you are and what happens?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SmartWombat

Yes, and that's without using the Counter Terrorism Act which gives even more powers.
You can be held for up to 28 days under that, and if it's not a high profile operation I suppose you just vanish.
If there's no press to report on your arrest, who knows where you are and what happens?

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Scary stuff!

Plus up to 10 years in prison for taking a photograph which may be useful to terrorists.
Including photographs of police. Presumably identifying them as targets.
How about we walk about with "I am a terrorist suspect" button badges, that's what we are.

But one guy making a protest and wearing such a badge was denied boarding on a flight - the flight staff decided it was a badge issued by security and took him and his bags off the flight because he was a terrorist threat !
There is no IQ test for airlines, it seems :o

Hey Paul, obviously the police don't want people photographing or filming them killing innocent people who are on their way home from work, walking away from the police, with their hands in their pockets and their heads down. How inconvenient for them that someone managed to do just that, an American banker I believe. RIP Mr Ian Tomlinson.
Something I found very disturbing was that the officer that carried out the unprovoked attack on Mr Tomlinson was wearing a mask and had removed his identification number from his uniform.
Here is a link to the video for anyone interested
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/ap...police-assault