NYCLU Sues NYPD for Harassing Photographers (again)
This just in from the NYCLU: The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court on behalf of a Columbia University graduate student of Indian descent who was unlawfully handcuffed and detained in July after a police officer saw him snapping photographs near a subway station in upper Manhattan.
“I was surprised and upset that I could be handcuffed on the street for taking a photograph,” Arun Wiita said. “What was really disheartening was that I knew this had probably happened before and that it could happen again to anyone.”
Picture New York applauds the NYCLU in their push to get the police department to train its officers not to bother law-abiding photographers.
coverage in The Columbia Spectator, the Associated Press, and Reuters
photo credit: danielkrieger.com
Read the NYCLU’s press release, the complaint, and letter to NYPD Commissioner Kelly here
“In our society, people have a clear right to document activity in public places without being hassled by the police,” said Donna Lieberman, NYCLU executive director. “Arun was taking photos, something protected by the Constitution, but the color of his skin made him a target of suspicion. The police should know better than to engage in this sort of ugly, unlawful behavior.”
- posted Fri., Dec 7, 2007 at 2:15pm
- filed in Press Coverage, About the Rules
- [5] Comments
December 8th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
We fought the MTA attempts to ban photography. The MTA even tried to ban photography without the benefit of a law. They tried to make photographers get permission to take photos in these public places and we said no.
We have repeatedly asked the NYPD to include in their patrol guide the rules and regulations regarding photography in public. They have thus far not commented back and have done nothing. They insist that their officers know the rules. This is not so. We have incidents in which photographers have been harassed by police with this latest incident being the worst. We’ve had at least one news photographer, Keith Bedford, threatened with arrest for taking photos in subway. He and others have relented rather than face arrest.
The NYPD continues to insist that their officers know the rules.
December 10th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Wow! This story is strong!
Will I see you all at the hearing on Thursday morning? I hope so! (I’m taking the 2/3 train and getting off Fulton Street.)
Economic Development Corporation
110 William Street, 4th Floor
(between Fulton and John)
And if you can’t make it, please get on the city record with your comment at message@film.nyc.gov. I went to the MOFTB offices last Friday, and there were only ten comments on file pertaining to this issue. They were excellent comments, and asked questions like, “What existing problems do the new rules solve?”, and “How many sidewalks are more than eight feet wide?”
Also, there are statements like:
“To sum it up, stop imposing these ridiculous amendments on people who want to share their creativity with others and who love, love, love our city.”
“…the new rule is better than the previous suggested, but still ridiculous and I would assume still unconstitutional.”
So hey, please take three minutes and send that email!
xo Juliana
December 10th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
I carry coppies of the official MTA rules permitting photos in all public spaces (just no lites, reflectors or tripods) printed off their website cause I am often stopped and harassed; not always by police cause Im white but more so by motormen, conductors and other passengers thinking they are “seeing something”. A few weeks ago I was put into the back of a police car in NE Philly while on a public street with an oil refinery in the distance of my tripod. But thats another story. visit mta.info for the official rules of conduct. photos are section 1050.9 paragraph c
December 13th, 2007 at 8:45 am
[…] The NYCLU filed another lawsuit last week on behalf of a person with a camera, unlawfully handcuffed and detained in July for taking pictures. Check it out here. […]
January 4th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Last year, my friend and his son from Canada were about to drive into the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, when the teenager decied to take a photo of the tunnel entrance from behind the windshield. When they emerged on the other side they were pulled over by NYPD officers who demanded to know why they were taking pictures of “Strategic facilities”. Even after explaining that they were tourists from Canada, they were told such photos were against the law and they would have to erase the photos in front of the cops or have their camera seized. They erased the photos out of fear.