Pegida protest 'public order' images seized by Garda from photo agency

THE National Union of Journalists has expressed fears about the safety of photographers at street protests after An Garda Síochána legally forced a Dublin photo news agency to hand over pictures of a “public order incident” involving an anti-fascist protest against Pegida.

The NUJ has reported that union member Eamonn Farrell of rollingnews.ie has confirmed that he reluctantly handed over a disk, under protest, containing more than 300 images after a warrant was presented by Garda Inspector Des McTiernan of Store Street.

The warrant authorised the seizing of digital images taken by one of the agency's photo-journalists during a protest on O'Connell Street in Dublin on 6 February this year against a planned meeting by anti-refugee group Pegida that was prevented by anti-fascists.

Eamonn Farrell, whose agency covers almost every street demonstration in Dublin and at the Dáil, said:

“I find it strange there was such professional, intellectual and institutional outrage, both nationally and internationally, regarding the killing of the Charlie Hebdo journalists in France by terrorists and the death threats against two journalists in Independent News & Media by a criminal gang yet you continue to pursue a course of action which is putting our journalists' safety and lives at risk.”

NUJ Irish Secretary said this is the latest in a series of incidents in which journalists have been faced with demands to hand over images taken at public events.

“There is a strong constitutional and legal basis for the protection of confidential sources of information,” Dooley said.

“Journalists should not be compelled to act as agents of the state and that applies to the supply of photographic images of public events.

“Last week, the NUJ made a detailed submission to the Murray Review into the law in respect of access to the communications data of journalists and the principles outlined in that submission are directly relevant in this case.”