London community support cops bully videographer, videographer wins
Rogier van Bakel from nobody’s business rants:
Watch the London community support officers (they’re not real cops, but deputied volunteers who fancy themselves real ones) as they confront a videographer who has the temerity to take footage of a public street. It starts with a sudden gloved hand over the camera lens, then it’s “give me a good reason why you’re filming,” then it’s on to “papers please”; and when the guy behind the camera, sensibly enough, asks under which law he’s not allowed to film there, the bully-boy hisses “shut up.” Twice.
To be clear, there is no law against taking photos — or video — in a public space. Not in the U.K., anyway. Not in the U.S., either.
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