Update: Villarin and some photographer friends will be returning to Pershing Square at 2 p.m. Sunday in protest of the recent harassment from a U.S. Bank security guard. If you’re in the area, grab your camera and join them in support of the First Amendment.
By Carlos Miller
Los Angeles photographer Bryan Villarin said he was harassed and threatened by a U.S. Bank security guard after he started taking pictures underneath the tallest building in Los Angeles, the former Library Tower.
The security guard whose name was “Robert” was then joined by a supervisor who told Villarin and his photographer companion, Alex Orsburn, that they would be placed on some sort of terrorist list if they continued taking photos.
When the photographers insisted on knowing what laws they were breaking, the security guards accused them of being “belligerent.”
Unfortunately, the photographers walked away without photographing the overbearing guards, which is the first step in combating these abuses.
Villarin points out the same area he was photographing is available on Google Maps with a click of a mouse.
This is one of those times when every photographer in Los Angeles should descend upon Pershing Square to give those security guards a lesson on the First Amendment.
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Fernandez, as I mentioned in a 
10 responses so far ↓
1 Jeremy Jojola // Jan 16, 2009 at 1:10 PM
I love how some security guards throw out the whole “terrorism” card when they see photographers.
One time I was shooting video at an Albuquerque Bus stop when a security guard demanded my name for “terrorism” reasons.
Please…..
2 Ken // Jan 16, 2009 at 1:31 PM
I work half a block from that building, and the conduct of the rent-a-cops doesn’t surprise me at all.
3 Bryan Villarin // Jan 16, 2009 at 6:36 PM
Thanks for blogging about this, Carlos.
Next time, I need to muster up the courage to take their photo. I feel terrible that I didn’t do that.
I talked to my buddy, Discarted (Shawn), and it looks like we might be going there this Sunday afternoon.
4 Carlos Miller // Jan 16, 2009 at 6:41 PM
Hey Bryan,
I truly believe that the best way to send a message to any security guard or cop who orders you to stop taking photos is to take their photo.
Granted, this will piss them off – and if it’s a cop it may even get you arrested – but it is not against the law.
And then by posting their photo on the internet, pointing out how they were giving you an unlawful order, it just might make them think twice next time they want to harass a photographer.
5 TwoSocks // Jan 16, 2009 at 7:47 PM
Guys, I got an idea. You know the phrase, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”?
Well, you hire an off-duty cop to go with you on these photography ventures. I’m sure he won’t anyone mess with you.
6 Carlos Miller // Jan 16, 2009 at 8:15 PM
TwoSocks,
If it comes down to having to hire a bodyguard to do something that is protected under the First Amendment, then we’re worse off than I thought.
7 genewitch // Jan 17, 2009 at 1:45 AM
carlos: you get my email about the eye-fi card?
it’s a good idea if you’re going to get confronted by “guards” or police while taking pictures. because it’s completely unconstitutional for them to ask you to delete the photos, but they do it anyhow.
8 genewitch // Jan 17, 2009 at 1:46 AM
also, your “cell phone confiscation” page is showing in your RSS feed, but it 404s on your site…
intended?
9 Carlos Miller // Jan 17, 2009 at 1:58 AM
Hey dude,
I am working a piece about the cell phone confiscation for next week. I am just starting the post and I have an interview scheduled about this with a First Amendment lawyer Monday afternoon, so the article will come out Tuesday at the earlier.
But I was just getting the writing groove going with that one and I accidentally clicked “publish” instead of “save draft”.
So I had to scramble to delete it but by then, several people had read it already.
About the eye-fi card, I guess that is needed if you expect cops to confiscate your memory card, but I’ll be honest with you. I will not let them take my card. They’ll have to arrest me.
Besides, I wonder how fast those files travel.
10 genewitch // Jan 18, 2009 at 10:08 PM
to the last question:
11MBPS… including protocol overhead, assuming a good link (directional receiving antenna) – around 1 meg per second. So a 5megapixel image would send in a matter of seconds.
Now, SVGA (640×480) resolution picture (web format) would send in a fraction of a second.
Note, this isn’t tested by me, i just am going by the specs.
And even if you do get arrested, at least you have the pictures OFF SITE. so if they manage to completely destroy the camera on accident, there’s still digital backups elsewhere.
It’s interesting, at least. I may pick one up and see how it works and do a review on some site. i’ll let you know.
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