Friday, February 13, 2009

Arrests, death threats, and Freedom of Expression

Johann Hari writes in the Independent about the continuing attack on freedom of freedom of expression by religious fundamentalism:
"I know that the price of taking offence is that I can give it too, if that is where the facts lead me."

http://tinyurl.com/bny9ma

[long url shorterned at tinyurl]

Meanwhile in Britain the space for dissent and alternative views is shrinking further. The way news is gathered and reported is under threat again from another piece of state legislation, this time it is the Counter Terrorism Act 2008. Section 76 of the Act which gives the police new powers to to stop and search photographers and prevent them from taking pictures in public comes into force next week.. Read more in the British Journal of Photography:

www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=839141

for details of recent incidents when press photographers have already been prevented from doing their job see this article on Hold the Front Page:

www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/photo/090210newact.shtml