Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Kyle... a very scary thought indeed, the issue is one of fear and control. For those of us who photograph people in the world we can not even begin to imagine where this will eventually lead. We will all be considered suspicious..... Great job Kyle, Wayne -----Original Message----- From: Kyle Cassidy <KCassidy@asc.upenn.edu> Sent: Sep 9, 2004 3:34 PM To: "'lug@leica-users.org'" <lug@leica-users.org> Subject: [Leica] audio from ground zero arrests here's a link to susan's audio file, from the time she started the interview as the march began to the time we were told we were under arrest is 58 seconds. you'll hear my voice in there, confused at first, thinking that they meant that there were people behind us j-walking who had been arrested, later we discovered that wasn't what they meant, they meant that _everybody_ was under arrest. we had no idea we were doing anything illegal, so we assumed it was people behind us. that night we discovered the arrests weren't for j-walking but for walking on the sidewalk more than 2 abreast. http://unix.temple.edu/~susanj/RNC/protest/arrest.mov the scary thing, and i think the thing that makes this relevant to the LUG, is that they were locking up people with press credentials AND, they confiscated the cameras and film of everybody arrested as "evidence". in my best, hopefully fair and balanced, objective journalist view, these arrests were completely unwarrented. i doubt any of the charges will result in a conviction, but the use of arrest as a preventative measure, arresting someone because they, _or someone they are with_ may or may not commit a crime at a future time, especially when the crime they may commit is unspecified, is abhorrent. this means that ANY AMATURE PHOTOGRAPHER OUT THERE, deciding to "go down to the protests and take some photos" -- as is not uncommon on this list, would have ended up arrested, in jail, leica's confiscated because they happened to be photographing someone who might hold an unpopular opinion or have designs on blocking traffic. kyle _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information