During last Saturday’s Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) rally, Concordian photographer Mike Pochwat was hassled by several protesters wearing scarves over their faces. The march organizers said they are not sure who the men were.
Pochwat said it started when he tried to photograph CSU President Sabrina Stea, who was marching in the rally. “The people around her covered her with flags.
They came up and used their chests to block my camera. They said, ‘no, you can’t photograph her.'”
When Pochwat moved on to photograph other parts of the rally, he noticed several men, who he thought were protest marshals, keeping watch on him.
They continued to block his photographs. “There was a group of three guys, sometimes five guys, that were following me,” he said. According to Pochwat, one of them said, “if you come here again and take any photos of anybody, you’ll be sorry you met me.”
Sami Nazzal, president of SPHR Concordia, said that the men were not parade marshals. He said that one woman had been following Pochwat, because march organizers did not want him taking pictures without people’s permission.
“He was annoying people and he was aggressive,” said Nazzal. “He was there, too close to people’s faces, taking pictures.” Nazzal added that many Muslim women in particular take offense to being photographed without their permission. “All they tried to do was maintain order and keep the peace,” said Nazzal, in regards to the protest marshals.
“I don’t appreciate people coming up to me specifically and taking my picture,” said Stea. “The photographer was standing beside someone from The Suburban, a paper that has a vendetta against us [the CSU],” she added. Stea was referring to Albert S
Pochwat said it started when he tried to photograph CSU President Sabrina Stea, who was marching in the rally. “The people around her covered her with flags.
They came up and used their chests to block my camera. They said, ‘no, you can’t photograph her.'”
When Pochwat moved on to photograph other parts of the rally, he noticed several men, who he thought were protest marshals, keeping watch on him.
They continued to block his photographs. “There was a group of three guys, sometimes five guys, that were following me,” he said. According to Pochwat, one of them said, “if you come here again and take any photos of anybody, you’ll be sorry you met me.”
Sami Nazzal, president of SPHR Concordia, said that the men were not parade marshals. He said that one woman had been following Pochwat, because march organizers did not want him taking pictures without people’s permission.
“He was annoying people and he was aggressive,” said Nazzal. “He was there, too close to people’s faces, taking pictures.” Nazzal added that many Muslim women in particular take offense to being photographed without their permission. “All they tried to do was maintain order and keep the peace,” said Nazzal, in regards to the protest marshals.
“I don’t appreciate people coming up to me specifically and taking my picture,” said Stea. “The photographer was standing beside someone from The Suburban, a paper that has a vendetta against us [the CSU],” she added. Stea was referring to Albert S
