May 10, 2004
Warning Photobloggers
Camera Buff Put Under 'Civilian Arrest' in New York City
"Camera buff Ram Porat didn't think twice about snapping pictures of an Upper West Side housing complex - until he was surrounded by security guards with post-9/11 jitters who put him under 'civilian arrest.'"
Of course, this is a load of crap.
"Now Porat, 43, has filed a lawsuit against the Lincoln Towers complex and the city, saying his rights were violated by the guards who demanded he stop taking pictures and the cops who charged him with trespassing at their request."
Here's how it all went down.
"Porat was standing on the sidewalk taking pictures, when a Lincoln Towers security guard told him to stop. 'He said, You can't take pictures,' Porat recalled. 'But I was standing on West End Avenue. I was shocked.'"
F it. I'll just copy/paste the rest:
"Porat crossed the street but kept taking pictures and then walked through the courtyard. There, another guard demanded to see his pictures and his identification, but Porat refused - and the guard told him he was under "civilian arrest."
"More guards came and surrounded him, and then two police officers arrived, ticketing him for trespassing. One cop told him they were acting out of "security concerns after 9/11," according to the lawsuit, filed last month. The trespassing charge was dropped after Porat challenged it in court.
"Lincoln Towers Vice President Jim Heller told The Post the courtyard where Porat was arrested is private property. He said he wasn't aware of the lawsuit and refused to comment."
Kind of reminds me of this update from Satan's Laundromat:
Mike: (is in Jamaica)
Mike: (takes picture)
Cop: Why are you taking a picture of a mailbox?
Mike: There's no law against taking pictures in public.
(continued)
categories:
General
posted by at May 10, 2004 11:35 PM
