A photographer taking pictures of smokestacks in Champaign, Illinois was harassed by three police officers because he had the nerve to pursue his hobby of public photography “In this day and age” As the photographer tells the story in his blog:

Eventually two other cops showed up, one of whom repeated the line about “this day and age” and whether I understood why they stopped me, while the other amused me by asking if I was part of any ecological student groups on campus.

What we do not understand is that comment by the officers. The law has not changed “in this day and age” – public photography is PERFECTLY LEGAL and cops have no excuse for not knowing that (ignorance of the law is no excuse officers!!). Unfortunately photographers simply complain in their blogs or on the internet instead of filing formal complaints with the local chapters of the ACLU. Legal and political pressure must be mounted against these police tactics until all harassment of photographers ends.

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