James Bryce
PHOTOGRAPHING or filming police carrying out their duties could soon be illegal.
In a move criticised by civil liberty groups, the government is to pass a law which would ban recording police if doing so endangers them or their work.
The ban would also prevent material being reproduced, for example on the internet.
It comes following widespread distribution of images showing ‘police brutality’ during anti-austerity marches over the last few months.
Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said a balance needed to be struck between citizens’ rights to protest and the need to uphold the integrity of the law.
But Angel Casana from Spanish daily El Mundo said: “If this proposal goes ahead, it is going to be impossible to know about events as they occur on the streets.”
More Franco- style legislation? Most police forces in the world have their share of out-and-out thugs, it is only the camera which has the power to limit their activities.
very bad…..reminds me of earlier days…1940/1945…
I always wanted to a coffee table book of photos of the police in their day to day life. Just this morning I have seen a Police car parked in a bus lane while a policeman uses a cash point and 4 police drinking coffee in a petrol station, give me a week and I fill the book of photos
Typical. The solution is to stop the police beating citizens up not stopping citizens filming the beatings, meanwhile the police are still allowed to film us!
I dont think it should be allowed, if the police are behaving incorrectly, why not let the world see it. Why give them the privacy.
This is bad. Social liberty in Spain is one of the few redeeming factors that separates it from places like Australia, Germany, UK or USA. We do not want the country to go that route.
In Salt Lake City police officers will be required to wear a system that cannot be edited by officers. Now, if it’s a good idea for them, why not for us?