Why I am Participating

By wayan on June 25th, 2007

Back in 1997, I was arrested for photography in Moscow. While you might expect that in Russia, we live in a country founded on freedoms of expression, one of which the Supreme Court has now enshrined as photography.

Unrestricted photography by private citizens has played an integral role in protecting the freedom, security, and well-being of all Americans by contributing to improvements in civil rights, labor practices, and police activity.

Yet American photographers are being stopped, harassed, and even intimidated when expressing their freedom to photograph under the guise of “security” and misguided fears about terrorism. Even when the proliferation of digital camera and camera phones are actually preventing crimes, catching criminals, and generally preserving public order.

I was recently harassed for taking photographs on a public street in Washington DC, and have often be questioned when photographing WMATA.

And now a private company who took over a public street in Silver Spring, a DC suburb, has banned photography and hassled a photographer who tried to take photos.

To me that is one step too far. One photographer harassment too much. And its time for a show of rights. Its time to join Metroblogging DC in a declaration of photographic freedom, a Silver Spring Photo Outing to remind Washingtonians that photography is NOT a crime.

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