Accredited Photographer Tolga Akman ejected from Conservative Party Conference

[IanDavidson]

Can I start by saying this is not a party political comment.   It is deeply concerning that Tolga was physically removed from the Conservative Party Conference.  I know Tolga he is a well known established news photographer for EPA. With a large and prestigious body of work.  I would accept that some May view him as pushy - but most good news photographers have to be somewhat assertive.  It has not been revealed why he was removed in this way before the Greenpeace protest and the PM’s speech.  However to remove an accredited news photographer in this way needs a lot of explaining.

 

All of us who work in news photography know that the environment is increasingly hostile: both from the public and from officials.  The type of behaviour shown towards Tolga, unless there is an outstandingly good explanation, threatens and attacks the concept of a free press and makes the job of press photographers harder and legitimises hostility towards us.

 

It may be there was a good reason for his removal, but the optics on this are horrendous and any reason for the removal will be lost in the noise of the news cycle.  .  

[NYCat]

I'm not a news photographer and I find this alarming.... along with discovering that PayPal is cancelling accounts of people they don't agree with. .. on both the left and the right.  Bad times.

 

Paulette

[Mr Standfast]

Further info here:-

 

https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/05/photographer-dragged-out-tory-conference-for-swearing-at-the-world-17508372/

[sb photos]

5 minutes ago, Mr Standfast said:

Further info here:-

 

https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/05/photographer-dragged-out-tory-conference-for-swearing-at-the-world-17508372/

 

I was just reading the Metro report and I see you've posted it. Prior to that there's a video of Tolga being ejected doing the rounds.

 

Certainly not the way for the conference security to behave.

[Lynchpics]

Looks like a security guard was being a bit of a jobsworth, not a good look for organisers. 

[AM Chang]

CCHQ has shared the following statement with epa: 

 

Andre

 

 

[MDM]

Fracking unbelievable I say, fracking unbelievable. 

[MDM]

By the way, his name is Tolga Akmen not Tolga Akman (several people with that name - actor, surgeon ....)

Edited October 6, 2022 by MDM

[sooth]

In videos I often see private security in the uk manhandling people, physically removing them from their buildings, malls, etc. it's unlike in the usa. Also, while there's a free press in the uk, press freedom is not guaranteed and that also negatively affects (non professional) citizen journalists as well.  i've read of stories where you go into a rich "posh" area, and private security will begin harassing you for taking photos even when you are legally allowed to do from the public street as it's a public area it's almost the same in the usa except for the level of harassment vs uk.  but with the rise of citizen media and more people with cellphones, people get less threatened by the presence of a "professional" cameras and generally it's a good thing (as I used to get harassed a lot for just minding my own business while on a public street, still do...)

Edited October 5, 2022 by sooth

[Colin Woods]

And to add further insult, the article refers to him as a snapper! Ouch.

[Sultanpepa]

21 hours ago, MDM said:

Fracking unbelievable I say, fracking unbelievable. 

 

Just a simple U-turn on their position and a bit of spin for good measure.

[Marianne]

We live in a world that makes our jobs harder every day. 
Glad they recognized their error, but the heightened animosity everywhere doesn’t bode well.
Democratic (small d) freedoms that those of us fortunate enough to live in open societies have taken for granted all our lives can’t be taken for granted. The past decade has been a real wake up call. 

And I’m not taking sides politically. Both the left and the right in many countries have become so polarized breeding hostility & hyper vigilance. 

[Rebecca Ore]

4 hours ago, Marianne said:

We live in a world that makes our jobs harder every day. 
Glad they recognized their error, but the heightened animosity everywhere doesn’t bode well.
Democratic (small d) freedoms that those of us fortunate enough to live in open societies have taken for granted all our lives can’t be taken for granted. The past decade has been a real wake up call. 

And I’m not taking sides politically. Both the left and the right in many countries have become so polarized breeding hostility & hyper vigilance. 

 

Imagine being a centralist soft authoritarian regime with both the far left and the far right wanting to overthrow you.  The fringes left and right tend to sacrifice people for theory, in my opinion.