Saturday, April 3, 2010

My altercation with N.Y.P.D. blogged, reblogged

The other day, I blogged about a run-in I had with N.Y.P.D. officers wherein they tried preventing me from photographing a protest on a public sidewalk. I was merely venting about how blatantly wrong their actions were after I found several of their "dirty looks" in photos during the editing process.

So I blogged and Tweeted, and before I knew it, I was receiving e-mails and comments about the incident from people I didn't know. As it turns out, my entry and photos were picked up by several blogs.

This first post I caught wind of is a blog called "Photography is Not a Crime" by Carlos Miller. Miller is a multimedia journalist who was arrested for taking photos of Miami police officers against their will in 2007. He documents the events surrounding his arrest and trial but also brings light to other First Amendment violations.

The second blog I heard I was mentioned in is a blog called NYC Photo Rights. The blogger's goal is to highlight issues of photographer harassment.

The last blog I've seen that mentions my altercation is a blog called NY 13, which documents the 2010 race for New York's 13th Congressional District. (The congressman, Michael McMahon, who was the center of the protest I was photographing, currently represents that district.)

I want to thank everyone who Tweeted, e-mailed or blogged about my entry. I think this is a really serious issue, and I wish more people knew their rights. It's not acceptable for any police, especially the N.Y.P.D., to try to intimidate photographers or prevent them from taking pictures in public places. I really appreciate the incredible support I've received. Let's keep spreading the word about these kinds of incidents! 

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