France Bans Laypeople From Reporting Violence--New French law says that only professional journalist

[dogday]

can film or broadcast acts of violence

The French Constitutional Council has approved a law that criminalizes the filming or broadcasting of acts of violence by people other than professional journalists. The law could lead to the imprisonment of eyewitnesses who film acts of police violence, or operators of Web sites publishing the images, one French civil liberties group warned on Tuesday.

The council chose an unfortunate anniversary to publish its decision approving the law, which came exactly 16 years after Los Angeles police officers beating Rodney King were filmed by amateur videographer George Holliday in the night of March 3, 1991. The officers' acquittal at the end on April 29, 1992 sparked riots in Los Angeles.

If Holliday were to film a similar scene of violence in France today, he could end up in prison as a result of the new law, said Pascal Cohet, a spokesman for French online civil liberties group Odebi. And anyone publishing such images could face up to five years in prison and a fine of €75,000 (US$98,537), potentially a harsher sentence than that for committing the violent act.

Senators and members of the National Assembly had asked the council to rule on the constitutionality of six articles of the Law relating to the prevention of delinquency. The articles dealt with information sharing by social workers, and reduced sentences for minors. The council recommended one minor change, to reconcile conflicting amendments voted in parliament.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/129631-1/article.html?tk=nl_dnxnws

[aquart]

1. Oh, this is going to go over well.

And they sneer at us?

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Misleading headline.

It is meant to criminalize violence voyeurs - people recording other people beating people up, like the girl who recorded her friends beating another girl that was in the news a couple weeks ago.

Not saying it's not a bad law - in fact, if criminals want to record themselves committing crimes it makes it all the easier for the cops, so I think it's counter-productive.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

3. Very sad day in France

My condolences to them. :(

[Mugu]

4. Next they should set up a special office of the government

to decide who is a legitimate journalist.

Regards, Mugu

[TygrBright]

5. uh-huh. That's going to work. (merde alors!) n/t

[DrunkenMaster]

6. what merde!

Just another attempt to limit the free exchange of information and ideas. They will keep trying, we'll keep producing alternative news, art and music.