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Metropolitan Police press cards (1)

01 January 1991

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Metropolitan Police press cards
artdoc June=1991

The Metropolitan Police has refused to issue its press card to three
freelance photographers who work regularly at public events in London. The
Metropolitan Police refuses to recognise the press card issued by the NUJ
and issues its own. The three photographers refused to hand over their
films of the Wapping confrontations with the police three years ago.
They were then charged with Contempt of Court for failing to comply with
court orders to surrender their pictures to the police. In accordance with
the policy of the National Union of Journalists(NUJ) they gave their
pictures to the NUJ who vouchsafed them with the International Federation
of Journalists in Brussels. They were then acquitted of the charge on the
grounds that they no longer had control of the pictures. One of the three
photographers, Andrew Wiard, says:

`These new refusals prove what the union has always said - that if you
let the police issue cards they will control who can work as a
journalist'.

Journalist, April 1991.

Statewatch no 2, May/June 1991

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