CONCERNING SECTION 76 OF THE NEW UK ANTI-TERROR LAWS

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CONCERNING SECTION 76 OF THE NEW UK ANTI-TERROR LAWS

Post by Louis P. Burns aka Lugh »

CONCERNING SECTION 76 OF THE NEW UK ANTI-TERROR LAWS
By Louis P. Burns aka Lugh © 2009. All rights reserved. 6th March, 2009.

It is now a crime to take photographs in public under Section 76 of the new UK Anti-Terror law. Below is a link to an item about an Irish accented man (Stephen Clarke) living/working in Manchester who was arrested for taking a picture of a street drain / grate. He was detained for two days, his camera and computer were seized and his DNA / fingerprints are now stored on a Police database. All of this despite him being guilty of nothing. Read the full story by clicking the next link:

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/03/03/ma ... arres.html

During the worst of the conflict here in the north of Ireland, under the tyranny of Britain it was a crime to take photographs of the British army / military installations or the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) or their police stations / checkpoints / vehicles. The reason given was that some of those photographs could be used to compile intelligence that may be useful to terrorists. Utter nonsense! To the best of my knowledge not one single killing or maiming ever came about as a result of someone taking a photograph. What it meant however was some ignorant big sectarian gulpin in an RUC uniform could confiscate your camera under anti-terrorism laws that were blatant breaches of internationally recognised civil and human rights. It was rumoured that on several occasions they smashed cameras in front of folk, ripping the 35mm films from inside. Or they hassled tourists who knew no better or photo-journalists who were there to document a Police State in action. You could have been standing in your own front garden taking pictures of your family and friends as an army foot patrol went past and you may have become exposed to the violence of a braindead mindless wannabe-led moron (soldier) armed and employed by Her Majesty's (spits) Forces of Occupation.

It now appears that those same laws that were used so effectively on us have been updated and introduced into Britain. Photo-journalists can no longer take pictures of demonstrations where the police are working either as stewards or aggressively towards members of the public. So now, exercising your civil and human right to protest against the illegal wars being fought in the Middle East or the corruption that reaks from government, arms dealers and banks carries a penalty under law if one of you has a camera and inadvertantly takes a picture of a cop. This can be viewed as and act of terrorism. The amendment known as Section 76 of the new UK Anti-Terror legislation became active on the 16th February, 2009:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7893023.stm

I nearly didn't post the link directly above because it features Mark Thomas the English activist, author, campaigner and satirist who alledges he's opposed to censorship. He is quite vocal in the clip. I find that highly interesting given how friends of his on his forum http://www.markthomasinfo.com/ and mailing list censored and treated me a while back when I spoke out against the British army beating kids in Basra, Iraq;

http://www.upstaterenegadeproductions.c ... _lugh.html

That aside, I believe it more important to bring this further into public the public domain. My reason for proceeding is that these new anti-terror laws must be confronted, questioned and where possible overthrown. If people don't take a stand then I can assure you, much worse is enroute...

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This article also appears in edition two of our online e-magazine; Sensitize ©:-

http://www.upstaterenegadeproductions.c ... erved.html
Louis P. Burns aka Lugh
Administrator, editor & owner of the Sensitize © online community of forums and domain for artists, e-poets, filmmakers, media/music producers and writers working through here. To buy the Kindle book of Illustrated Poetry, Sensitize © - Volume One / Poems that could be Films if they were Funded by myself with illustrations by Welsh filmmaker and graphic artist; Norris Nuvo click here for N. Ireland and UK sales. If purchasing in the U.S.A. or internationally then please click here.

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