NUJ speaks out over threat to photographers

The NUJ has condemned a website supporting the far-right English Defence League for threatening press photographers.
The union says the EDL have told demonstrators to treat photographers and camera operators as “hostile”. The website - in the name of UK Casuals United - says: “Scum photographers are attending our marches, with the express intention of taking photos they hope will incriminate or badly portray our members, and hopefully catch right wingers who have tagged along on some to make us look racist.
“For this reason, anyone taking photos or filming our members, unless we have invited them, SHOULD BE TREATED AS A HOSTILE.”
Jeremy Dear, NUJ general secretary, said: “We also have a name for photographers who expose fascist thugs – we call them excellent journalists. We call on the English Defence League to remove this obvious threat to photographers – and to take down the pictures taken by our members that they have posted in breach of copyright laws.”
The EDL is holding a protest outside Harrow Central Mosque in Middlesex tomorrow evening (Friday 11 September). Dear has agreed to speak at a counter demonstration by anti-fascists.