CCTV Free Zone
Published:
July 08, 2010 16:45
by
Abelinda Blackbird
Neighbourhoods: camberwell
Anti-CCTV Campaign kicks off to a flying start in Camberwell. Recently in Camberwell various CCTV smart cars have been patrolling residential areas under the publicly known purpose of traffic enforcement. A group of activists who had recently moved to the area observed the Southwark council spy cars recording number plates of all cars passing through their vicinity as well as recording the movements of the local residents and taking footage of people’s houses.
This considerable infringement on civil liberties was quite enough for the activists to stand so they went their merry way out onto the streets with their two banners, one reading ‘CCTV free zone’ and another reading ‘freedom not filming’. [Read more | CCTV Free Zone Day 3 Report and Pics]
On the first day they were met with lots of friendly neighbourhood who agreed with what they were doing, and one man was very angry so he expressed this with his middle finger at the CCTV camera.
The police arrived and spoke to everyone but left shortly due to boredom. The activists surrounded the car with banners and eventually it left an hour before its shift was due to end.
On the second day the activists spotted the CCTV car again, and so decided to greet it with much enthusiasm. They surrounded it again and one activist very politely asked the CCTV camera to ‘mind its own beeswax’. As they were standing having a jolly old time, another CCTV car arrived, the activists were so surprised they ran over to greet it and show it all the lovely banners they made.
Soon after two traffic enforcement men arrived, they were very interested in what was going on. Shortly after the traffic enforcement men and the CCTV spy cars left, an hour and forty minutes before their shift was due to end.
On the first day it took an hour to convince the CCTV cars to leave, and on the second it took 20 minutes.
The activists plan to continue and expand their campaign, they will be converging on Valmar road, Camberwell to confront these nosy parkers and welcome newcomers to their group.
Jolly Good work friendly neighbourhood anarchists!
Additions
To local resident
Published: July 09, 2010 00:42
by
another local resident
CCTV in general doesn't prevent crime, it simply moves it to areas without cameras. In lower class areas such as Camberwell they've become an easy way out, a way to move crime to another borough so it doesn't have to be delt with. You may be ok with a quick fix that means someone will be killed in a back alley instead of outside your door, but I'm not. I'd rather the community tackled its own problems without orwellian interference by the local council.
CCTV also quite happily bypasses the real reason for crime, prefering to tackle the symptom rather than the illness. If an area has high crime, the answer is to find out WHY, and then solve this problem. Parts of Camberwell are like a third world country, no wonder people steal! The way to stop this is to help people out of deprivation, not to treat us like criminals!
CCTV is also blatantly classist. It's unimaginable that an afluent area such as Chelsea would be flooded with CCTV in the way Camberwell has. The logic behind this would seem to be "No money = criminal". Also, the right to be innocent until proven guilty (a right enshrined in law), has been blasted apart by CCTV, which treats everyone equally as an offender who needs to be watched all the time.
Another point: You bleat on about muggings and robbing, but are you a robber or a mugger? Are you a murderer or a rapist? No. Of course not. So why do you need to be watched everywhere you go? Don't you deserve to be trusted by the state?
And finally, to be honest, I quite like my privacy.
PS: the CCTV car we are protesting against has nothing to do with muggings or drug use. It's a traffic enforcement unit who's camera is (supposedly) pointed at car numberplates 100% of the time. So even if you did get mugged, it wouldn't help.
anyway to get in touch?
Published: July 10, 2010 16:34
by
grassroots mediactivista
if someone wants to write more or talk to folks involved, do you have a blog or contact email? Please post it if yes. Cheers.
Heavy Handed Policing
Published: July 12, 2010 10:35
by
peacefulwarrior
I have just witnessed a local shopkeeper being arrested for challenging a parking ticket he recieved by the notorious CCTV car. He was then arrested and the area flooded with highly agitated police. One of the plain clothes officers even racially abused the victim. END POLICE BRUTALITY AND RACISM
To the resident
Published: July 24, 2010 11:39
by
GFab
You said you were mugged and there was no cctv, no conviction. If there were cameras there, you still wouldn't have caught the bastard, just filmed you.
It's sad that you are so insecure in your community that you rely on big brother to protect you. as if they actually care about your safety. Furthermore, besides the fact that cctv of innocent people 24/7 is morally wrong, it's also illegal under the Human Rights Act 1998. Surely one would expect the government to at least follow the law?
Turning the tables
Published: August 08, 2010 14:09
by
Bruce
Time on your hands + 1 handycam + 1 CCTV car = priceless!
It is quite correct, the car in question is there to raise revenue from shoppers and delivery drivers stopping briefly at the top of Valmar Rd. I believe it is operated under a contract to Apcoa (parking business). Rather than being sited as a deterrent and preventing the 'problem', they are careful to park so as to be invisible to offenders, apart from the eagle-eyed who might spot the persicope. This is clearly to maximise revenue and allows the alleged hazard to persist.
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oh thanks
the area you targeted is the one I live in, an area well known to drug dealers, gangs of youths and those real lovers of your mobile the kids on bikes, we had to badger the council to get something in and they did.
Thanks to your efforts I now live in an area with less security deterent.
So all those anachists who did this, hope to see you walking the streets at night etc and patroling the area to make it safer. If not can you please keep your opions to yourself
resident (been mugged, no conviction,no CCTV)