Police videotaping anti-free-trade marchers in DC last month: http://www.mccullagh.org/image/d30-28/police-prepared-for-protests-3.html I'm hardly a fan of police surveillance, but in this case I'm not sure I'd ban police from videotaping protesters. Protesting is by definition and intention a public activity, after all. Another solution: Get rid of laws in some states that prevent protesters from wearing masks! -Declan --- http://www.centralmaine.com/news/stories/021021cameras_.shtml Monday, October 21, 2002 Associated Press Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel Activists Protest Police Cameras PORTLAND - Activists and civil libertarians say snapping cameras and whirring camcorders at demonstrations intimidate people who disagree with the government and should be regulated by the state. Activists also say collecting information on tape or film reminds them of government excesses during the 1960s, when demonstrators opposed to the war in Vietnam were sometimes harassed by authorities. The issue arises following a raucous demonstration in Portland in opposition to the United States waging a war against Iraq. City police made a videotape of the event. A week later, a state police trooper snapped pictures as demonstrators protested House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt's appearance at a rally in Lewiston. Louise Roback of the Maine Civil Liberties Union said people have a right to engage in anonymous political activity without being monitored by police. [...] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ Recent CNET News.com articles: http://news.search.com/search?q=declan -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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