Toulouse 'citizen' riot photographer threatened with arrest

It seems the new French law , that many feared would criminalise non-accredited journalists who recorded acts of violence, is already having an effect. Graham Holliday reports how he was forced to show his press card to prevent the police from confiscating his camera during Sunday's violent protests against Le Pen's rally in Toulouse. Disturbingly, another photographer on the scene, who did not have a press card to waive, reports: "I got all the photos and videos I took yesterday on my camphone deleted by a policeman who told me he would arrest if he ever saw me doing again."

I must admit I don't know anything about any other French laws, with regards to recording acts of violence, that may have preceded the newly introduced one, but the new law will hardly have made it any easier to report from such events as a citizen journalist. Though some, of course, argue that any fears of this new law being an assault on citizen journalism are completely misguided...