As the discourse around Black Lives Matter and police reform grows ever coarser, racism is revealing itself through protests in all small corners of the country. And that means communities unfamiliar with the role of photojournalists are encountering firsthand the consequences of exercising free speech to spew hate in public spaces.
The disconnect was on full display this weekend in Smithtown, New York, a town of about 117,000 that’s more than 95% white. Local activists with the Long Island Peaceful Protest group planned a rally for Saturday, March 6, to protest the town’s handling of “Thin Blue Line” flags on its fire trucks. They had been there for years, but had recently been removed, then put back after residents complained. The demonstrators planned to march from the train station to the nearby firehouse to express their dismay over the town’s use of a flag that has been in recent years co-opted by racists to attack Black Lives Matter protesters. Throughout the week, a “Back the Blue” counterprotest movement was building, and by Saturday, there were more than 100 “Back the Blue” supporters waiting for the 30 or so Long Island Peaceful Protest marchers.
Predictably, it got ugly. Just take a look at this person, who blocked me, and told me to "Go back to where you came from" as I tried to cover the event with my journalism students:
I have seldom felt fear of physical harm as a photojournalist, but I did fear this person, who was lunging at me with the flag. It turned out my fears were justified, as he later pushed a young black videographer to the ground and fled the scene. I did try to take a picture of him after that happened, and he angrily told me to stop taking pictures of him as he slipped through a fence.
And I got that a lot. As a photojournalist of color, many “Back the Blue” protestors assumed that I was automatically “against” their side. I was there, like my students, to document what happened and let the photos speak for themselves. I think the photo at the top of this post, for instance, says enough. You may even recognize this particular racist from a previous article I wrote on this topic.
A Right To Photograph
The protestors themselves weren’t really saying much when it came to giving me their names, however. Ordinarily, I don’t have trouble getting most people to talk to me for a photo caption. Most with the Long Island Peaceful Protest group did share their identities, and faces, in photos of this protest. However, whenever I pointed my camera at many “Back the Blue” counterprotesters, masks were pulled up, and cries of “No pictures bro,” and “I’m going to shove that camera up your f*cking a*s” followed. One protestor even tracked down my Instagram to leave a comment that I was “doxing” [sic] people in his group:
A commenter accused me of trying to "dox" them while I was engaged in photojournalism.
Funny what @itsyahboyruss considers “respectfully.” Photojournalism isn't doxxing, and it's hard to dox someone when their face is covered by a mask and they refuse to give a name.
Don't Be a Jerk
Whatever the case may be, I often try to follow the “don’t be an a*shole” rule of photography. If someone respectfully asks not to be photographed, I’ll generally move on and shoot someone else. It’s a protest, and there are plenty of other people that don’t mind photographs or at least won’t raise an issue. I may not always get a name out of those people, but at least I’m not getting attacked or threatened.
Supporters of the Long Island Peaceful Protest encountered a large group of "Back the Blue" counter-protestors as the march moved past the Smithtown Fire Department on Saturday, March 6, 2021 to protest the town’s placement of “thin blue line” flags on its fire trucks.
I don’t have to honor their request. There’s no expectation of privacy in this or any public space, and so, perhaps it’s time to clarify what a photojournalist can and cannot do in this context, and it’s pretty simple:
If you’re on a public street in a public place, anybody with a camera, whether it’s a cell phone or Nikon D6, has the right to photograph you doing whatever it is you’re doing — whether that’s espousing racism or fighting against it.
I was born and raised 30 miles away from where this protest took place, just one county over. I did not immigrate to this country. It's sad that I have to clarify this fact or that it even matters.
Hi Wasim,
So you were a stranger there, meddling in a very local issue.
Hopefully your forebears, by becoming U. S. of A. citizens have rejoiced in escaping from the cultural racism of arranged marriages and the supremacist caste system of the Indian Sub-Continent?
The latest news from that region is that Uttar Pradesh has passed a law to stop forced religious conversion. Why does forced religious conversion take place you may ask?
It occurs after a young girl (well below the age for sexual concent in the U.S of A.) is abducted, had sex with (raped) and is then forceably converted to the religion of the man who has had sex with her and married. It prevents that man from being prosecuted for rape. Some of course may just be escaping arranged marriages, some may not.
What has that got to do with a blue line on a flag?
Hopefully your reporting is perhaps an attempt to stop such a future happening in the U.S. of A. Though I doubt that particular thought even entered your head.
However if your reporting is an attempt to stand on some moral high ground, unfortunately none of us, due to our shared cultural heritages, have any high ground to stand on, unless of course we consider ourselves to be supremacists..
As I pointed out earlier your article contains no surprises and no real news, you found the expected in a very local issue.
As a photo journalist, I would recommend you re read my earlier reply. As you're a journalist I'll give you a clue, my first reply was written in the Third person, This is writing in the First person.
Unlike you I have been an immigrant, having to register at the 'Ministry for Strangers' in another land. I don't have a chip on my shoulder, or an axe to grind because of it, and I certainly wouldn't have the audacity or temerity to begin to critise the culture of that land.
Hello Tim,
Short term memory is very common place. Colonialism pre dates history, as does racism. So does slavery.
The blue line on the grey flag is there to commerate the fallen of the blue line of serving officers, who have given and are prepared to give up their lives to safe guard the public. Their is nothing racist in that.
I don't watch the news as journalists seem to consider it their God given right to use it to further their own agendas.
Apparently questioning a journalists agenda isn't allowed?
There goes freedom and democracy.
Thanks.
My summary of events reported.
There was a local disagreement on the use of a flag, whose validity has been questioned due to the American Flag code. Flags are highly emotive objects.
A demonstration and counter demonstration occurred whose participants appear to have been drawn from the 95% of the population who belong to the same ethnic group. The 95% is the journalists figure, quite why they had to look it up or make it up only they know.
The journalist doesn't declare themselves on either side of the disagreement regarding the flag code but alludes to some right wing group having stolen and subverted its use.
The journalist isn't a member of the ethnic group attending either side of the protest, and shouts Racist.
Your quite correct in that I'm more dangerous than the regular, as I'm not afraid to call out a journalist for making a mountain out of a mole hill, whilst pointing out there are far more important issues in the World.
However with regard to the flag code, I can understand both sides of that argument and wouldn't like to call it.
Here is a report from a proper journalist:
https://www.smithtownmatters.com/town-matters/2021/3/8/making-their-voic...
Maybe it's my reading of it but it appears to have been a relatively peaceable protest and counter protest, with 2 of the only 3 persons arrested being outsiders with existing warrants out for them.. So being told to go back to where you belong would appear to be a reaction to a possible trouble maker.
Funnily enough the same thing happens around here, however it's usually a right wing anti- immigration group that organise the first march and the local people and councillors counter protest.
In any case this article has also caused enough trouble here.
Bye..
Or, Malcolm, perhaps as an older white woman, she didn't encounter the same level of racism that I did. I talked to her and walked alongside her for some time. Look at the language used - the police had a "challenging job" - it's clear that this is catering to the Smithtown audience since it's a site about Smithtown.
You're passing judgement without actually being there to see it, or seeing it as someone with my color skin (though to be fair I don't know that last part for a fact).
Hi Wasim,
The local protesters probably recognised the lady reporter and therefore had a degree of respect and trust in her. An outsider isn't given that kind of break. You would also be all to easily identifiable as an outsider.
It's also not unknown in the UK and probably elsewhere for an outsider to be there to take pictures to present a falsehood. The most recent such falsehoods in the UK press were telephoto shots of people queueing and seemingly breaking all of the social distancing rules. They were called out on it by people taking wide angle phone camera shots of the same queues showing the social distancing rules were being kept to.
You may have gathered journalists in the UK have lost what little respect the population might have once had for them. So far here in the UK we have lost one Royal Princess due to press hounding. There is also an ongoing investigation as to whether that Princess was fed false facts by a journalist interviewer in order to illict an explosive interview. Most recently we have lost one of that Princess's sons due to the press hounding his wife.
Look after Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex for us, they're both sadly missed.
You're making a lot of assumptions, Malcolm. The protestors were from all across Long Island on both sides, and very few knew this Smithtown site and publication even existed.
They're not "questioning" this supposed "agenda".
Too many people here are ASSIGNING an "agenda" to Wasim's work.
It wasn't me who decided the word Racist in the article, was appropriate to use for what appears to be a demonstration and counter demonstration by members of the same ethnic community.
Favourite Spike Milligan poem time:
See the happy moron, he doesn't give a damn, I wish I was a moron, My god, perhaps I am.
Author not biased at all. Not fixated on a particular group. No siree Bob. Training CNN hopefools.
It's not at all unusual for people to cover what is relevant to their life's experiences. It's clear that his work has some meaning as this article has 206 comments. It's struck a nerve. I hope he continues to post articles that bring out people's strongly held beliefs. That's not just good journalism, it's the highest standard for great works of all types.
Cheers.
I agree.
One thing I've noticed is how much racists hate being called out, and then continue to prove what racists they are. You'd think they'd be more proud of their racism.
LOL! There's over 206 comments because 'lil Timmy who's suffering from a nervous breakdown is replying to almost every post. You are correct. Apparently, it's struck a nerve on him.
So reporting on what people actually say and do is "biased".
lol!
Wasim didn't force these people to act and say things that prove their racism.
I was really waiting for you to bring up my fixation on Montauk Point.
There's a problem with posting videos that were shot in public to illustrate my articles? YouTube hosts videos. I needed a spot to post these to put in the article. What about the dozens of other videos that aren't about this? Not sure what you're saying here, Eddie.
I had a feeling this would go over your some of your heads. I'm saying your type of journalism is one-sided. Typically some type of anti-Trump. Hence 3 of 3 vids are such. I don't recall you covering/writing about the BLM riots and destruction as riots and destruction. You've dismissed them as "protestors".
Thank you for this write up Wasim Ahmad.
You don't deserve the vitriol or hatred, in person or via the internet, that you've received.
My appreciationfor your sharing of your experiences.
You still have to look at yourself in the mirror every day and realize that the internet is the only place for overweight and out of shape guys like you to be a tough guy. Sadly, weak men like you will go through their whole life avoiding any real confrontation, only speaking in an authoritarian tone through rambling posts. I suggest you spend less time posting and join a gym or go for a walk. Lose the man boobs and you'll actually feel more like a man.