G20 Security

[Brian Bailey]

Just a word of caution to birders and photographers to be cautious of where you point your lenses over the next couple of weeks.  I was out shooting dragonflies this afternoon in the field next to the RL Clark Filtration Plant, when a security guard approached me to ask what I was doing.  He was very polite, almost apologetic, but he explained that with heightened security around the G20 meeting, using cameras with big lenses around the filtration plant wasn't a good idea.  I couldn't even see the plant from where I was.

It's a good thing they didn't notice me yesterday when I was photographing the Cliff Swallow nests on the buildings!  :lol:

BB

[Matthew Strimas-Mackey]

Not bird related but a photographer friend on mine was in Toronto doing the tourist thing and taking pictures. He was stopped while taking photos at Union Station because of increased security during the G20. They made him format his memory card and he lost 3 days, and several hundred pictures, worth of work.

[mike]

I was also told not to photograph the Union Station area over a year ago. It had nothing to do with the G20. We just live in a paranoid society now.

[Napper]

Hey!

There were two military helicopters at Downsview doing a little fly-bye today right at 2;30 pm.

We are used to seeing Griffon's  from Trenton, these looked more like Sea Kings.

There are rumours goin around about heightened security at the old base and that we might have visitors flying in.

They have restricted all of our test flights starting Thursday.

Napper:))

I almost forgot, We spotted a C-17 this morning flying towards pearson on the way to work, was around 5:40 am

[Brian Bailey]

...They made him format his memory card and he lost 3 days, and several hundred pictures, worth of work.

Apart from being over the top paranoia, I doubt that was even legal.

BB

[Anonymous]

Hey!

We are used to seeing Griffon's  from Trenton, these looked more like Sea Kings.

Probably - they're involved in G20 security.  See below.

[Bird Brain]

They made him format his memory card and he lost 3 days, and several hundred pictures, worth of work.

That is terrible!  

[Bird Brain]

Hey!

There were two military helicopters at Downsview doing a little fly-bye today right at 2;30 pm.

We are used to seeing Griffon's  from Trenton, these looked more like Sea Kings.

There are rumours goin around about heightened security at the old base and that we might have visitors flying in.

They have restricted all of our test flights starting Thursday.

Napper:))

I almost forgot, We spotted a C-17 this morning flying towards pearson on the way to work, was around 5:40 am

Napper ... you might enjoy reading through this list of sightings.  

http://yyznews.com/airportlog2.html

Jo-Anne  

[Napper]

Hey! Bird Brain

Thanx for the link!  I wasn't seeing things:roll:

YYZ       21-Jun      07-7182     C-17     USAF 437AW, AF HMN at 0541hrs

The CL-604 in with CAF decals was at Downsview all day yesterday.

There was a memo sent out to all employees today regarding in plant parking. @ 15:00 hrs Friday there will be no cars allowed inside the plant. Any cars remaining at 18:00 hrs will be removed. Our East entry gate will be shut down on Saturday.

Napper:))

[What was that?]

For those interested in the legality of taking photos in Canada, try this link.
http://ambientlight.ca/laws.php

In summary, you can take pics wherever you want as long as you are public property. If someone in authority (and check out if they actually have that authority, many people are excessively officious and ASSUME authority that they DO NOT have) asks you to reformat your card
THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO SO.

At best they can stop you taking more pics. Pictures already taken are private property, to be forced to delete without being found guilty of something is illegal.
(BTW, apparently England has an even tougher situation).

Here's the important bit copied over from the website.

Federal Law
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees basic rights and freedoms for all Canadians. However, the Charter only dictates the government's role (ie: the police can't stop you from taking photos, just because they feel like it). The charter does not:


Relieve you of breaking other laws
Relieve you of breaking civil law (you vs. another person or company)
Dictate what you are allowed to do on someone else's property

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 32.:

You are guaranteed the right to take photographs, and publish them
You are guaranteed the right to express yourself through photography, and you have the freedom to publish the photos you take. Unless you are arrested, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees your right to take photographs of anything you want, as well as publish them.

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 2.b):
freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 7.:
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.
No interference from Police
The Police can not interfere with your lawful enjoyment of property. They can not search you, detain you, nor imprison you without legal reason.

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:
7. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.
8. Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure.
9. Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.


Hope this all helps.

I do a lot of photography for charities at at public events and luckily haven't yet been approached. Perhaps a trip to Union Station is in order .

Graham

[ravynne40]

We were told that we are on alert at the hospital, they are also using part of the parking lot for a heli-pad and decontamination tents are being set up..oh yay me..tomorrow is going to be fun!
I have never been through anything like this. We are also not allowed to bring any camera /recording devices on hospital property.
We were also told our  cell phones may not work and not to get caught using them if they have cameras built in

Irene

[Axeman]

I'm glad I live where I live....away from the craziness...but for the licence plates, one might believe we live in the jungles of Borneo...no wait, you can get high speed internet net in the jungles of Borneo...but here in rural Ontario, 2 hours nw of Toronto, no high speed internet.

I think we have no business hosting a G8 or even G20 summit if we don't have the infrastructure for high speed internet and cell phones...they have high speed internet everywhere in India...they may not have flush toilets everywhere in India but they do have high speed interenet.

Now...about the protesters...as much as I think they raise valid points -- many of which I agree with....why do they have to conduct themselves the way they do? How many times do we see pix of really ANGRY protesters confronting a calm police officer? I don't for a minute believe that the cops are blameless for the ugliness that always accompanies these totally wasteful summits but the credibility of the protesters I think, is waning as a result of the ugliness.

Wait there's a knock at the door...I should go answer it...what are all those cops doing outiside my house?

[egret]

Well, I hope it all goes
well
and is a success!

Have many feelings on this
but will not post..

Costing mega bucks
and hope it is worth it

I am not too far from downtown


I understand the reporters up at G8 have to go home
cant stay up there
and then back the following day


Egret

[cloaca]

Is Union Station not private property?   I understand it's overly paranoid, but I suspect that telling you to stop taking photos is entirely legal.  And if someone tells you to erase your photos, you just say no.  It's that simple.  Don't see the issue here.

[Julie]

Axeman, there were over 10,000 of us there (by a conservative count). I saw no one that was angry, screaming in cops' faces etc etc-- but I did see ordinary, peaceful citizens like myself upset or in tears at the sight of our community being take over by thousands of riot police. I hope all Canadians will ask themselves some hard questions over the coming weeks, and that includes questioning easy assumptions about protesters. There was NO reason for the cost and level of security-- all of which managed to be somehow unable to block about 100 individuals who wanted to smash things. Hmmmmmm... nothing like a burning cop car repeated endlessly on the telly to justify the bill, is there?

As for all rights, including photography-- use em or lose em. The TTC also has ludicrous rules about photography and the more people challenging them simply by taking photos, the better. By all means, don't take pics of employees without their permission-- fair enough. But I've never sought permission to take pics on any property paid for with my tax dollars. Union Station is likely leased to a private firm or administered by them but my understanding is that it's a government building. As for wiping a card-- no excuse. People are going to need to be much more assertive when someone pulls rubbish like that, including refusing to let them even see the card. Trouble is, last week this assertion of basic rights got 900 people arrested. If we don't want to see a lot more of that, we'd better start applying some pressure and that means using our rights at every opportunity.