Stopped Under Terror Act For Talking Terror Act

Sunday 23 November 2008: Irony is the first word that comes to mind, and it probably is the most appropriate for yet another Stop and Account under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act for a fully registered "legitimate" working journalist in the UK.

Anti-surveillance protest at New Scotland Yard

4pm: I was to be interviewed on film and photographed by a professional team from Italy's Colors magazine on terrorism law and how it has affected UK press freedom. So what better place for the interview than underneath the New Scotland Yard sign on Broadway in London.

The team, an Italian photographer and a Brazilian videojournalist, were questioned the moment they arrived by the female officer on guard. All seemed well. No suspicion. Until I turned up, that is.

Within minutes of arriving a diplomatic police car pulled up, checked the situation and drove away. All good. Then a diplomatic police van pulled up and the two officers watched from a distance. It was then the officer on door duty moved in and began taking the details of the two foreign journalists. At no time did she explain to them, or myself, why she was doing this.

Then she turned to me, just as a second diplomatic police van arrived. I asked under what law she was taking my details and answered for her: "Section 44, terrorism act."

She aknowledged. Her pen ran out. it was a cold day, so I lent her mine. We went through the form. A diplomatic officer stepped out the second van and listened to our conversation. I answered the questions before she had a chance to ask. She commented on my experience of such matters.

"I've had a lot of practice," I said.

"Why? Are you wanted?" she asked, jokingly.

"Unless journalism has become a crime, no, I'm not."

She laughed: "We'll see."

"Well, I guess we'll see how the law changes go this week, eh." I added, refering to the new Counter Terrorism Bill which lists section 58, terrorist crimes including the release of any information about police constable. It is still uncertain how this will be used against photographers and videojournalists who release images of police officers in their material.

I got my S&S form, the officer returned my pen. The diplomatic police remained in earshot as I conducted my interview and openly attacked the destruction of press freedom in the UK from the direct result of the War on Terror and Terror Act that strips individual freedom in return for the illusion of safety.

The only other thing to add was the officer on guard commented on how all this was a waste of time, for her and me. I did warn her that I was already wearing a microphone and we were already recording.

The NUJ-funded docu-short Press Freedom: Collateral Damage is hosted by Current TV and can be purchased here on DVD.

All stills taken from video. All material on this blog - stills, video and print - is (c) Jason N. Parkinson 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Please contact the AUTHOR for access to any material an extensive four-year video archive.

jasonnparkinson@gmail.com

Dancing On The Grave of Capitalism

31 October 2008, Halloween: Dancing On The Grave of Capitalism was supposed to be an event of partying and a light-hearted dig at the capitalist system. Instead it turned into a re-run of the March On The City, a wrestling match between anti-capitalist protestors and police, only this time it was colder, darker and with less people.

The interaction of the Metropolitan police units and the Canary Wharf private security seemed to kill the party atmosphere immediately, and the event, scheduled to last till "late", was all over by 7pm.

Canary Wharf security also saw fit to obstruct, abuse human rights and even assault journalists trying to cover the event.

Other than that the only joy seemed to be various chants, which I failed to capture on film, but wished I had.

Chant 1

Protestors: "Whose streets? Our streets."

City workers: "No they're not. They're our streets."

Chant 2

Protestors: "The workers united will never be defeated."

Police officer pushing them back: "Yes you will."

The true fact of the matter is unfortunately, and in the context of what has arisen in the massing of public opposition to the £500 billion bailout, the police officer appears to be right - at the moment.

As the party, protest - call it what you want - capitalism is not dead. And there is no grave to dance on. Capitalism and all its dirty dealings and deeds just got unconditional bail. Bailed by us. The only hole in the ground is where the UK taxpayer's money used to be.

Capitalism did not die on Black Friday, just as equally as the failing bailout banks did not get nationalised.


All stills taken from video. All material on this blog - stills, video and print - is (c) Jason N. Parkinson 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Please contact the AUTHOR for access to any material an extensive four-year video archive.

jasonnparkinson@googlemail.com

Smash School Privatisation: The WPAG conference

Thursday 23 October 2008: The Wembley Park Action Group gathered for the Academy School conference in Wembley to expose the controversy behind the privatisation of UK state education and examine the evidence on the proposed ARK Wembley Park Academy "Super School".

Hank Roberts, Bob Blackman, Martin Francis, Bill Greenshields

Two videos have been posted to YouTube with highlights from that meeting: Video One - Video Two.

The main speakers were NUT President Bill Greenshields, Brent NUT and ATL Secretary Hank Roberts, Martin Francis of the Brent North Green Party and Harrow East Conservative Councillor Bob Blackman.

WPAG Meeting Part One

WPAG Meeting Part Two

The films expose non-democratic processes by Brent Council to impose the ARK Academy school, how the national public opinion is now turning against academies as evidence proves the system is failing on a massive scale, a brief history of some Academy sponsors and how the American inspiration of academy schools segregates pupils by social class and economic status.

Local residents talk about the biased and misleading council-backed literature designed to sway them towards Academy schools and witnesses talk of the "vermin-ridden" Wembley site.

Wembley ARK Academy Head Teacher Jacqueline Steele is caught in a bold face lie, denying the children would be put at risk by being educated on a construction site, yet video evidence shows the temporary school site still under construction at a time when the first 60 pupils were being educated there.

Recent further investigation also gives an us an idea who is behind the ARK Charity, the most favoured academy school sponsor, and also shows it is the same faces trying to privatise UK state education that are the very same people behind the global economic crisis.

The Liberal Democrat campaign trail in the last Brent council election was in total opposition to the Academy School program, the brainchild of ex-prime minister Tony Blair. But as soon as they gained control of Brent they went about-face and started the most aggressive program to install the ARK Wembley Academy.

Enter Paul Marshall, co-founder of hedge fund Marshall Wace. Marshall invested £162,000 into the Lib Dems and was a researcher for Charles Kennedy. Marshall is also listed on the trustee/director page of the ARK Charity website.

With him you will find Stanley Fink, hedge funder, short seller, multimillionaire and regular donor to the Conservative party.

Also on the list of ARK trustees and directors is Jennifer Moses, who you may remember in the Goldman Sachs scandal. Her secretary managed to steal £1 million from her own savings. Moses, of the Lib Dem think-tank CentreForum, was appointed special advisor to Gordon Brown this year. Her job was to be advising the PM, from her £10 million Hamstead mansion, on finance and poverty. Further rumours claimed she would advise on PFI contracts, the Iraq war and non-taxation of the rich.

The most recent report to be found in this scour of the online newspapers said Moses backed out of the unpaid advisory job, due to her husband losing £20 million in the credit crunch.

All material on this blog - stills, video and print - is (c) Jason N. Parkinson 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Please contact the AUTHOR for access to any material and the extensive four-year video archive.

jasonnparkinson@gmail.com