Results tagged “detained”

This past July some NYPD officers defended a civilian's right to photograph when he was harassed by another civilian for snapping shots in the subway system. This was a surprising change, to say the least, in the force's previous attitude towards shutterbugs — but since it came after this department-wide memo was sent out, it showed promise for the future.

Last week it was announced that James Powderly and 9 other activists are being held for 10 days after protesting at the Olympics in Beijing. Now U.S Ambassador to China Clark T. Randt Jr. has asked that the protesters be released. The activists will be held until August 30th and 31st, and Randt Jr., who met with the detainees, said there were no claims of "maltreatment at the hands of Chinese officials," but noted "We are disappointed that China has not used the occasion of the Olympics to demonstrate greater tolerance and openness." While China agreed to allow protests in three designated areas, in which activists could apply for permits, no applications turned in were approved. Meanwhile, GRL has word from Powderly (being held for “upsetting public order”), saying he "is in good health and eager to get back home." UPDATE: This afternoon Students for a Free Tibet tell Boing Boing that the protesters have been released. "James Powderly, Brian from Alive in Baghdad, and everyone else all arrive at LAX around 6 or 7pm tonight," says an SFT rep.

There's finally some word on James Powderly and five “citizen journalists” (not the other five artists), together dubbed the Beijing Six, who were detained in China for their Free Tibet protests. The AFP reports that "Beijing police said Thursday it had handed out 10-day detention terms to six foreigners believed by an overseas activist group to be pro-Tibet campaigners involved in Olympic protests this week." F.A.T. has a statement Powderly made on video prior to being detained, in which he says, "I'm participating in this non-violent direct action because as an artist I've taken the role of an engineer that builds tools to allow people who don't have a voice to express their voice in the public sphere." The SFT's blog has the latest news on all Free Tibet protesters in Beijing.

Following yesterday's news of Graffiti Research Lab founder James Powderly being detained in Beijing, came news of five other American artists being held for a similar reason. The pro-Tibet activists held a banner with the words “Free Tibet” written in bright blue LED throwies in both English and Chinese. The peaceful protest took place in Beijing’s Olympic Park, and within 20 seconds the five were being detained.

Reports are coming in that NYC street artist and Graffiti Research Lab founder, James Powderly, has been detained in Beijing for planning a pro-Tibet protest via a L.A.S.E.R. Stencil art piece. When Boing Boing reported the news at nearly 8 this morning, he had been held for around 19 hours already. They were tipped off by Students for a Free Tibet, who learned of it via a Twitter message that read "held since 3am." There's no further word about the status of this situation, and Beijing officials have yet to acknowledge he's being held.