All posts in the topic Photographers in London election row (Short link)

From: Banti Singh Date: May 06 12:16 UTC Short link

Tuesday 6th May 2008
by Chris Cheesman

Photographers were allegedly banned from taking pictures at two London
by-elections and have accused the council of behaving like an 'old Soviet
republic'.

Photographers at the East London Advertiser claim they were stopped from
photographing counts amid fears that they would take the 'wrong kind of
pictures', according to reports.

'The Town Hall vetoed a request from the East London Advertiser to take
wideangle shots of the count for the by-elections for Bethnal Green's
Weavers ward and Millwall ward on the Isle of Dogs which were being carried
out in the Excel Centre in neighbouring Newham,' states the newspaper's
website.

The paper claims it was told that 'the size of the room is the problem  we
can't have too many people in here'.

It believes that the health and safety issue was a 'smokescreen' and claims
that the council also rejected requests for photographers to take turns in
the room.

Tower Hamlets Council told Amateur Photographer that it had given the paper
plenty of advance warning about the ban.

In a statement it said that photographers were able to access the count room
for the announcement of the election result and that a 'pool photographer'
was able to supply images of the count in progress.

It added: 'In order to effectively manage the count and to minimise
disruption or disturbance to count staff, press photographers were not able
to access the room before the announcement.'


The story can be found here:
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Photographers_in_London_election_row_news_255482.html
The article in Archant's paper:
http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/content/towerhamlets/advertiser/news/story.aspx?brand=ELAOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsela&itemid=WeED02%20May%202008%2013%3A46%3A56%3A107



 "The paper claims it was told that 'the size of the room is the problem
we can't have too many people in here'. "
Hmmm since when did photographers become a problem for our great leaders?

"Wrong kind of pictures?"
Does that involve the use of erasers, considering all the ballot papers were
done in pencil?

"...press photographers were not able to access the room before the
announcement."
I wonder why...
    

Khyberman