Photo student draws attention of authorities

[icymist]

Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - Page updated at 12:27 A.M.

Photo student draws attention of authorities

By Sara Jean Green and Katherine Sather
Seattle Times staff reporters

On Monday night, the volume of Internet traffic to Ian Spiers' Web site — www.brownequalsterrorist.com — crashed his server. Strangers from Chicago and New Zealand offered him space on their servers to get his story back online.

Spiers, a Seattle freelance graphic designer and amateur photographer, has been amazed at the outpouring of international support he's received since posting a tale of two run-ins, the first with Seattle police and the second with agents from the Department of Homeland Security, for taking photos at the Ballard Locks, one of the most popular tourist spots in Seattle.

<snip>

Spiers, 37, who describes himself as half black and half Scottish, suspects he was singled out because of his skin color, adding that other visitors at the Locks were taking photos but no one else was being questioned or detained.

What upsets Spiers most is that during the second incident, after he'd answered a slew of questions and had been told he could go, an agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a branch of Homeland Security, asked to take Spiers' photograph. When Spiers said 'no,' "he told me, 'You really don't have a choice,' " Spiers said.

<snip>

The American Civil Liberties Union is investigating the incidents, questioning officials on Spiers' behalf. In a June 21 letter to the Army Corps of Engineers, the agency that manages the Ballard Locks, ACLU attorney Aaron Caplan wrote that at the end of the May 26 questioning, "Special Agent Daniel McNamara of the Department of Homeland Security told Mr. Spiers that he was not allowed to take photographs at the Locks, and that he was not to return to the Locks without advance notice and permission."

More at this

[havocmom]

1. We need pictures of other tourists taking pictures without interference

from officials then the ACLU can ask a judge to stuff them up the asses of the idiots who harrassed this man.

Are there notices posted that no photos of the locks are to be taken? Is there any history of others being approached and/or photos confiscated at this tourist attraction?

edit: to change a word

[ClassWarrior]

2. Check out Ian's web site at the link above.

He has lots of pictures of other tourists taking pictures hassle-free.

[truthspeaker]

3. quote from Army Corps of Engineers:

Corps spokeswoman Patricia Graesser said her agency wasn't involved in either incident. "Any member of the public is welcome to come on the grounds of the Locks and take pictures," she said.

from this article: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001979027_locks14m.html

[psychopomp]

4. Sounds like racist pigs to me

If I am right, then fuck those guys. They have no business in law enforcement.

I wish you, Mr. Spiers, courage and strength in your efforts. "The Department of Homeland Security" is pointless if it makes citizens less secure.

[psychopomp]

6. please check this link

The Artist's Statement
"Art 100E - Photography
Motion Study Artist’s Statement
by Ian Spiers

Humiliated, Angry, Ashamed, Brown."
http://69.93.170.43

[Parche]

5. homeland fraud

This is getting to be ridiculous
People take pictures of all sorts of things
This administration is taking this fear factor too far

I love to go to the airport and watch the planes sometimes, I wonder
if I started taking pictures of planes taking off, would they cart
you away?

[sendero]

24. This kind of shit...

... is typical of what large organizations (business and government) do. They concentrate on stupid little things that are easy to do (watch for people taking pictures), rather than the difficult things that need to be done.

Doing the simple/stupid things allows them to delude themselves into thinking they are accomplishing something, when in reality they are just wasting time and money.

[LizW]

7. Horrifying story

Even after thirty minutes discussion and checking the student's ID, the agents still assumed from his skin color that he was a foreigner. The McNamara guy lectured him on what "maniacs" did to "our" country, clearly excluding him from the term "our".

Outrageous.

[psychopomp]

10. Liz, I think they knew he was a US citizen

From what I read, the manner in which the HS agent recounted the story of 9/11 and the need for increased vigilance was framed in a way so as to make Mr. Spiers feel that he was an outsider.

[Romulus]

8. another law enforcement gem

I wish some of the cop-suckers that lurk around DU would read this before they wish law enforcement to have even more power over us.

[flamingyouth]

9. You've got to be kidding me

The Ballard Locks is one of Seattle's main tourist hotspots. I take all my out-of-town guests there. So, I wonder if they'll harass my Japanese friend in August?

:argh: must stop thinking about this story .... getting migraine ... :grr:

[The Sushi Bandit]

11. Spiers is my HERO!

great website too!

[icymist]

12. Yet another example of the misuse of the USA Patroit Act....

He went on to tell me that the minute I’d photographed federal property, citing the Ballard Locks, the train bridge and the Patriot Act, that I’d, again, broken the law. Of course, I asked why there weren’t any signs on that parcel of public property disclosing that photography was forbidden...

From this

[psychopomp]

13. kick

[Lithos]

14. This fear based looniness

Keeps setting new lows.

What is happening to Mr. Spier's is obscene.

L-

[pinniped]

15. ALERT! Be on the lookout for "suspicious" people carrying...

almanacs and maps. Soon cameras will be added to the list.

I like to carry a camera and take pics of planes leaving SFO so I may not be able to post here for awhile.

I also like to take pics of container ships sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge and pics of the GGB.

Guess I got lucky making it out of LV last week because I took about 150 pics of all the casinos. I was also lucky enough to snap a few pics of the Dos Amigos Pumping Plant (California Aquaduct).

See you soon...

[progressivebydesign]

17. Uh oh..

. I'm a photographer that has been known to take photos from the new vantage point under our local suspension bridge... They put a park on the water near the bridge to view the construction on a new bridge... I have no doubt that some vigilant "patriot" will call the police if someone not of the caucasian race is taking photos there.... God forbid a middle eastern engineering student would be caught taking photos there.. This is just ridiculous!

[icymist]

18. Artists of color, beware! Is that the Homeland Security message here?

This kind of abuse can easily spread to other forms of artistic expression. We must keep the pressure up on our Congress-critters with the message that the USA Patriot Act is bad law!

[Barrett808]

16. kick

[Algomas]

19. Here we go folks...

can you feel the Freedom slipping away before your eyes???

[LiberalUprising]

20. Kick

[psychopomp]

30. This really pisses me off

kick

[icymist]

21. From The Ballard Tribune....

Ballard resident Ian Spiers wears a button on the strap of his camera bag that acts as a disclaimer, of sorts. It reads "Annoying but harmless Photography Student. Do Not Bend."


What a great web site Ian Spiers has!

[glitch]

22. What an excellent project - he's definitely getting A+

to those who haven't - check out the artist's statement on his site, it's worth the visit. Definitely captured the Ballard Locks (2004) experience.

[Xithras]

23. As an avid photographer, let me say this...

...this is racism, pure and simple. I'm as lily white as they come, and I've taken pictures of bridges, dams, nuclear power plants, airports, railroad stations...literally hundreds of "sensitive sites" and nobody has so much as raised an eyebrow. I guess I'm not dark enough to look suspicious to them :eyes:

[wordout]

25. Maybe..

he unknowingly snapped pics of a pre-election MIHOP team?

[glitch]

27. Maybe - although Ballard Locks would be pretty small potatoes

Welcome to DU!

[wordout]

31. They're centrally located..

perfect for a nuke. I keep thinking about Daschle's hint toward securing "ports", which is about the only clue of this "horrible" known-unknown plot we have. That tells me 'a' port is scheduled for mihop, and Seattle has long been on the list. There's got to be more to this story than racism.

Thanks for the welcome vidali ;)

[psychopomp]

32. Check the story

Many others were taking photos at the time of the harassment.

[pfitz59]

26. Arrest me!

I've taken plenty of pictures of the Ballard Locks. The sockeye are moving up the fish ladders as we speak! If that's not a photo-worthy topic I don't know what is! I fact, I'll be there this Saturday! I'll be the one with the camera!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

28. I think many people need to go........

dressed in muslim attire.

[BiggJawn]

29. Could've been worse-He could've been a Gay man on his Honeymoon...

Then he would have been investigated for attempted destruction of the Murkan Family, too.

<sarcasm>

I'm in another foul mood tonight...So what ELSE is new?