Picture New York
Proposed regulations in NYC would make it illegal for artists to film or tape in the city without a permit and $1m in insurance. This ludicrous assault on the First Amendment (not to mention the arts in general) was recently put forth by the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting (MOFTB). Check out this more detailed explanation of the rules.
Immediately, a grassroots movement sprang up to fight the proposals, spearheaded by the group Picture New York. “I already have a permit for my camera,” says one of the group’s founders, Beka Economopoulos. “It’s called the First Amendment.”
According to their press release, they’re “fighting back with YouTube videos, petitions, handwritten letters, a website, Flickr space and a rally and press conference this Friday in Union Square.”
The rally grabbed the attention of the New York Times in this article, and WNBC-TV News, and their e-Petition has collected over 6,000 signatures in three days.
Having friends in NYC who are video artists and photographers, I’m proud to have signed, despite my not being a resident. Please support this effort to the extent that you can!
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