I was downtown in Los Angeles one day with my ZX-5n. I never go
downtown without a camera. Suddenly around the corner came some hispanic
undocumented workers rights parade. My Spanish is rusty enough that I
couldn't grasp 100% of what they were chanting, but the whole affair
seemed kind of interesting, so I pulled out the camera and took a couple
shots.
Next thing I knew, I was being approached by a non-hispanic guy, who may
have been one of the march's organizers or something like that. He
asked me to not take any pictures. I mentioned that this was a public
event, and that it was being held on a public street; I had every right
to take a picture. He got angry and said, "I'm only asking that you not
take pictures." I still don't understand how anyone could be upset that
I would take a picture of a public demonstration. I thought they liked
publicity, else they wouldn't be publically demonstrating. Anyway, I
just told the guy, "Well, you're too late, they're taken." ...and
continued on my way.
One time about four years earlier, when I used to live in Portland OR I
stood on the Burnside Bridge and took a picture or two toward Waterfront
Park one Saturday. As I walked from the bridge back toward the west
side of the Wilammette river I was approached by two hostile guys who
had been hanging out in the druggy portion of Waterfront Park, within
view of the bridge. They demanded my camera. I ignored them and kept
walking until I reached the nearby Saturday Market; a venue with
thousands of people and a healthy delegate from the local police
department. They followed about two feet behind muttering muted
threats. They kept it low key since there were other people within 100
feet. As I neared the crowded Saturday Market the tough guys realized
there were too many witnesses around for them to continue harrassing me.
One of them said something about if I ever took his picture again he
would break my face with the camera, and then they disappeared into the
crowd. I was a little surprised by the incident, because the shots I
had taken were mostly of the riverfront, and I don't think any of the
waterfront park druggies were even in the shots.
After the Waterfront Park incident, I began carrying mase in my camera
bag. I'm a 6'3" 195lb guy, and don't find myself the recipient of such
bold harrassment often. In that incident, my quick thinking was to just
remain in visual range of decent citizens so the guys couldn't try
anything too forceful. I was outnumbered, but in a public area. Next
time I'll be better prepared.
