Freelance Photographer: I Was Followed by BP Security and Then Detained by Police

Freelance photographer Lance Rosenfield was working on assignment for ProPublica in Texas City, Texas, last week, when a BP security guard began following him. Rosenfield was later detained by police after taking photos for two ProPublica stories. One revealed that BP’s Texas City refinery had illegally emitted 538,000 pounds of toxic chemicals into the air in April and May. The other reported that the Texas City refinery continues to have serious safety violations five years after an explosion at the plant killed 15 workers.

Full Story Here

The Photos

In my opinion the over the top response seems the work of a guilty party. It's sad to say but all things point to a cover-up.

Mods, I did a search for many words in the article and nothing came up, forgive me if this is a re-post.

Ok so the police violating the constitution, not allowing free press, detaining a reporter, am I missing something here?
Seems like business as usual to me.

The things our founding fathers died for are simply vanishing... Our FREE COUNTRY simply does not exist anymore. Does anyone remember the movie ALIEN? a company controlled everything. There was no distinction between government and the corporation. They worked hand in hand for their "evil" plans. Im afraid that the future is already here. Conglomerates control our congress and president... We are simply sheep in their master plan.

Had it not been BP, I doubt we would hear about this.

I've heard quite a few stories over the years of people being arrested or detained for photographing refineries, nuclear power plants, military bases, government agencies, bridges, statues...you get the idea.

Not saying I agree with any of it.

But since 9/11 there has been increased stories like this under the guise of national, or homeland security. I mean you could be taking photos to use in your plan to blow up the refinery.

It doesn't matter how much pollution BP emits, they are owned by Goldman Sachs which is owned by the Rothschilds, which owns the government. The coast guard has committed treason by letting BP shut down the Gulf and take part in phony clean up efforts. Since BP should be prosecuted, and the Coast Guard should be next.

what would happen if the average citizen was polluting the ocean, telling clean up workers not to go to the hospital, and preventing the media from taking pictures of the coast?

This is not just some corporate clean up, this is a fascist take over.


p.s. 18 of the 27 photos are of the same Texas City sign. Not very interesting.

reply to post by ThaLoccster


Yeah I agree with that, it happens on a daily basis, at least with this tragedy of the oil leak some things are being brought to light a little more often.

Here is some other stories...

The FBI Plans to Warn Nuclear Facilities

TIME has learned that sometime today the FBI plans to send a classified Intelligence Bulletin to 18,000 state and local law enforcement agencies over its secure telecommunications network, advising officials to pay attention to suspicious activities around nuclear power plants, and including people who are spotted photographing them...

Long Beach Harbor cop demands permit for public photography

A Long Beach Harbor Patrol officer told two photographers they needed a permit to photograph industrial plants, even though they were standing on a public sidewalk.

Amtrak Holds Train Photography Contest, Then Arrests Man for… You Guessed It!

" In fact, he said, the only thing they told him before handcuffing him was that “it was illegal to take photos of the trains.”

Indianapolis police claim it is unlawful to photograph government buildings

The officers told Miller that they needed to inspect the photos he had just taken.

“I need to see it for matters of Homeland Security,” the officer told him. “You can’t be taking photos around here.”

I don't remember a lot of public outcry on the subject, until it involved BP anyways.

Strange, isn't it.

As long as I have a camera and film, I will photograph anything I can see that I want to photograph. I know they did this BS in England - let's see if they can do it here so easily. I guess now we need Charlton Heston holding up a camera.

A lens is purportedly a phallic symbol. You can stick it where you want, probe anything you desire, all in the name of free speech. Well Big Brother don't like this. You see, Big Brother believes that he has the biggest phallus around and won't be rivaled by any others as such. He can't have any of that now can he?
Call it wishful thinking on his part.

Occasionally I'll go downtown with my camera to photograph various scenes when I've nothing better to do, and if there might be some special event going on worth photographing too. I can tell you every time I've been out taking pictures downtown, I've been approached by cops asking me what I was doing (DUH! Can't you tell?) and ask to see some identification.

I show my ID, no big deal there other than it's annoying 3 or 4 times in an afternoon. Rarely though do they write anything down, and never have they called in for any kind of a check on me. Exactly what was the point in seeing my ID then? Have they memorized all the bad guys names, ha?

When asked what I'm doing, I tell them the same thing every time: "I enjoy photography and this is what I do from time to time. I take pictures of stuff. Is there a problem with that?" They usually reply with the same excuse about the world being different since Oklahoma City and 9-11 and how they were just making sure I wasn't some whacked out terrorist. LOL. I don't know how they could tell one way or the other in their 30 second interrogation stop.

I suppose a terrorist though wouldn't be looking for any kind of trouble or argument with the cops, whereas a true citizen would be ragging on the cop for hassling a citizen out enjoying their hobby, ha. And I do get a little sassy and testy with them every time I'm stopped. I've never been told not to photograph something though, except in those places where photography has always been strictly forbidden (concerts, museums, sporting events, etc.).

I suppose if you took a picture of the cop that would change things a bit. At least I think they don't like it, but I haven't tried either.

If this happened in New Hampshire there would be two or three protests courtesy the Free State Project right at the police station of the arrest.

Originally posted by Da Man6
The things our founding fathers died for are simply vanishing... Our FREE COUNTRY simply does not exist anymore.

Im sorry, which of our founding fathers died for our country? Washington? Jefferson?

And what were those ideals again? freedom and opportunity for wealthy, landed white males?

yeah, the gold ol days of native extermination, chattel slavery, wage-slavery, and people dying in the streets.

not much has changed, id say.

Originally posted by ttatw
I suppose if you took a picture of the cop that would change things a bit.

Yup, always take their picture.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/407b2bb8e5af.jpg[/atsimg]

They still made me move along though.

reply to post by justadood


So you would prefer continued existence under the European Monarchy?

reply to post by Divinorumus


I don't know why but this picture is hilarious lol. At least it wasn't a congressman they pictured...