DID YOU WITNESS THIS AT SHANNON

by funny Wed Dec 10, 2003 15:17

hard to imagine why someone might flee when questioned, intimidated and then attacked by people in masks.

the BB were in a public area, somehow they are shocked when someone may be video taping them.

by Michael Turley Wed Dec 10, 2003 15:25

...no favours with this kind of delusional observation.

by Fuck Corporate Media Wed Dec 10, 2003 15:26

but it was a legit crew from TV3 (hence the slating they gave us on the evening news).

by Joe Wed Dec 10, 2003 15:27

I suspect your referring to the TV3 camera crew who were quite obnoxious but were real (TV3 used the footage they took). I've included a picture I took of them during a similar incident to that you describe (maybe the same one?)

But the secret police were there is number both observing the crowd and recording it. Four obvious branch men stayed around GNAW. One appeared to have a new bit of kit, a directional mike which would be capable of picking up the conversations it was being pointed at from some distance. Another guy was spotted in the morning filming people boarding the Dublin GNAW bus, when challenged he claimed to be a protester who was making his own way down by car which seems a little unlikely.

TV3 film crew

by Calliope Wed Dec 10, 2003 15:38

So what if they ran away? They were doing no more than anyone else down there (but at least had the surety of purpose to show their faces).

by Bob Wed Dec 10, 2003 15:58

...if this indeed the same people spoken to be a steward. there was more than one crew.

and secondly why would they not have Press ID? It was a steward, with a marked stweard jacket who politely asked them to show a press card. that's no reason to run away.

by funny Wed Dec 10, 2003 16:01

masked people ask for the identity of someone without a mask - a wee bit of irony, no?

the black blockers need to calm down and know who the real enemy is

by Joe Wed Dec 10, 2003 16:06

One of the strongest arguments for it is the deluge of secret police types at protests recently. There have been secret police camera men at all the recent RTS demos (both video and stills) as well as the anti-war stuff. Given the record of the secret police in this country trying to keep your identity from them is anything but daft.

by Bob Wed Dec 10, 2003 16:14

::::masked people ask for the identity of someone without a mask - a wee bit of irony, no?:::::

Ah, no. Stewards don't wear masks.
They wear flourescent jackets.

by MediaWatch Wed Dec 10, 2003 16:28

It should be checked out and people should be aware of cameras, police cameras, TV or even or own cameras

bring more cameras to record the event and just in case anyone goes a bit nuts (in a Donal Corcoran kind of way)

TV3 are normally fair enough in there coverage.
That being said, if they were harrassed then expect bad coverage.
Also, that's not the usual crew they send to Shannon. (normally Alan Campbell and another camera man, who are sensible enough guys - wouldn't shove a camera in the face of stampeding black blockers - that's what a zoom lens is for)

I noticed they spent a lot of time in front of the Black Bloc and especially the chanting of
"No Justice, No Peace - Fuck the Police" -which is not a great thing to be chanting at cameras as it makes us look like angry nutters.

Maybe they were looking for the more dramatic pictures?

TG4 aren't perfect either. They do decent coverage and Tomas O Mainin is fair enough, but their regular camera man has a habit of trying to record things he shouldn't

e.g. close ups of defendants consulting with their solicitors outside court - close enough to pick up the sound of confidential conversation.

You can't just ignore the mainstream media.
You can't rely on them as friends either, but it pays to have some sort of common sense with them, and to point out to them when they cross the line.

by kate Wed Dec 10, 2003 16:36 cork

i think the reference is too another crew. the so called reporter wore a check shirt and tie with i think a brown coat.he had spiky hair.

before the protest i was observing the gardai outside lidl. i wondered who this guy was as he talked freely and in a familiar manner with the gardai. when i saw him with the camera i thought he was tv3 but the above crew were the tv3 crew. this dodgy check shirt buddy may have been TG4 but from what i heard the footage he filmed was used on tv3(though i didn't see the footage myself i did see check shirt dude recording the BB).

anyway i dont no if this info is any help. i no he was standing talking to gardai by a car that brougth some kildare protesters, maybe contact kildare antiwar for more info. its worth looking into.....

by Bakunin Thu Dec 11, 2003 18:24

i was the person that other crew were filming, I tryed to stop him filming me so he followed me so i told him to stop again, with this he when and got the guy with the boom who asked me did i plan on trying to get into the airport so i pushed them away again and they shouted over to the cops "did you see that" then walked off! they were not TV3, they were TG4.

by spectacle Fri Dec 12, 2003 23:51

Mr Bakunin,

buy a clue.

you were in a public space.

do not be surprised if you have cameras pointed at you when you dress up as a media spectacle

by Lugnut Sat Dec 13, 2003 22:27

It's all a spectacle. You mask up to avoid being identified, give solidarity to others taking part in sctions by helping to provide anonymity, and create a spectacle. If you discount the third reason, then you're not accepting that we live in an age of mass media and images of BBers are powerful, easy pictures for editors to use. It's a reality, and everyone knew and probably hoped for coverage at Shannon, so it makes little sense to attack and intimidate cameramen no matter how obnoxious they are, there are other ways to deal with them, eg by being ignored they'll probably move off soon enough, instead of getting the sensational 'I was attacked by a protest hooligan' story. Use the aul' ceann.

by Heid ra ba Sat Dec 13, 2003 23:26

Tell them you've no intrest in the airport as such, but merely see it as a launching pad for the BB's world takeover

by yeah Sun Dec 14, 2003 11:29

"BBers are powerful, easy pictures for editors to use"

powerful for who? powerful for those who oppose us to make us look like the terrorists that Bush etc would like us to be seen as.

the bloc doesn't add much to the event other than convincing people that the left is mad, confused and violent.

by new rule 4 demos? Mon Dec 15, 2003 02:24

I reckon we should consider bring in a rule on these demos.

"No person should be allowed to participate in the demo if they are masked."

I don't see why anybody should be concealing their identity. Why are they ashamed of being on the demo? Why wont they show their identity to fellow protesters? Having large numbers of masked protesters would make it very easy for cops to infitltrate marches,cause trouble, arrest and frame other protesters (I am not saying that the BB have any cops in their group, just that this could happen on bigger demos)

by late night comment Mon Dec 15, 2003 04:43

The IAWM can have as many rules as it likes, the BB were not part of the IAWM protest. Like it or not there were two groups there on D6, the IAWM and GNAW. Both were protesting the same thing on the same day, but on their own terms and rules of engagement.

by cabhog Mon Dec 15, 2003 11:25

What right do the stewards have to ask for ID off people? Absolutely none

If i showed up at the next anti-war demo and demanded ID from people merely cos I was wearing a yellow jacket and on an ego trip, I'd be told to eff off as well