[IP] Re: videotaping of violence NOT outlawed in France

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Marc Aniballi <marcaniballi@gmail.com>
Date: March 8, 2007 3:04:33 PM EST
To: dave@farber.net
Subject: RE: [IP] Re: videotaping of violence NOT outlawed in France

Dave;

Just to clarify - CRS is not a SWAT team - they are typically used in  
riot
control and general public security, but the guys in black with a  
SWAT look
are either Gendarmes Mobiles or GIGN (counter terror) which are both
divisions of Gendarmerie Nationale (GN) which is akin to the US FBI  
in that
they have a national mandate. GN however has more jurisdiction locally
within France since they are often the only local police force (somewhat
like the RCMP in Canada) and they are a military organization rather  
than
civil.

Disclaimer: My brother in law is a Major in the GN - so I like them!! :D

Marc Aniballi

-----Original Message-----
From: David Farber [mailto:dave@farber.net]
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 2:23 PM
To: ip@v2.listbox.com
Subject: [IP] Re: videotaping of violence NOT outlawed in France



Begin forwarded message:

From: DV Henkel-Wallace <dvhw@talima.com>
Date: March 8, 2007 12:20:50 PM EST
To: "David P. Reed" <dpreed@reed.com>
Cc: David Farber <dave@farber.net>
Subject: Re: [IP] Re: videotaping of violence NOT outlawed in France

The two countries aren't that different, really.  But certainly in
France, the folks likely to whack someone are the CRS (sort of like a
SWAT team, but with far more autonomy), and you _don't_ film them;
you give them a _wide_ berth and try not to catch their attention.
You have rights, but with only two exceptions I can think of, these
guys have generally been able to act above the law.

In the USA I teach my kid that the cops are your friends...but will
he still believe it when he's older?  I hope so.  Over the past
couple of decades the rules here (US) have become far more punitive.
Oddly it hasn't seemed to have made for a more civil society.

-d


> Date: March 7, 2007 5:56:10 PM EST
> From: "David P. Reed" <dpreed@reed.com>
>
> Does videotaping an incident where the police are beating up a
> demonstrator or a criminal (unnecessarily) amount to "in order to
> get a proof in justice"?   This might be a matter of some concern
> depending on how one must demonstrate intent at the time of taking
> the videotape.   If it were America, I'd suggest taping a label on
> your camera - "all footage being taken by me are intended for use
> in court as proof, should I need the video for that purpose".
> Such a declaration might not work in France as a statement of
> (potential) intent - especially if I were taking the photos or
> video as a means of spying on the government.  I understand that in
> France everything that is not permitted is forbidden.





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