Videotaping of protests questioned by legal scholars
Wednesday, September 1, 2004 at 12:19AM
TheSpook
The videotaping of lawful conduct at rallies and marches by
police and other agencies this week has prompted questions from legal
observers. Yesterday, for example, four police officers videotaped a
rally of about 100 people outside federal immigration headquarters in
lower Manhattan. In addition, a Parks Department deputy inspector taped
protesters at Columbus Park downtown. Civil libertarians have
questioned whether the taping, which has been observed at every
protest, is within the Handschu guidelines, a 33-year-old court
settlement that details rules for monitoring political activity. The
libertarians say police cannot videotape marchers unless there is
unlawful conduct, but police have said they can tape anyone in a public
place. "It's clear that there is pervasive videotaping and
photographing," said Christopher Dunn of the New York Civil Liberties
Union. "The city has yet to tell us the purpose of the taping or what
they will do with the tapes afterward. But if it is to compile
information about lawful protests, that would be improper and unlawful." [more ]
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