Featured image: Police blocking Jules Mattsson taking photos (credit: Jules Mattsson)
A photographer who was called ‘stupid and gay’ by a police inspector has received £4,000 in compensation and an apology. Student Jules Mattsson (then 15 years old) was told by members of the Metropolitan Police that his taking photographs at a military parade in Romford in June 2010 was unlawful and anti-social behaviour.
‘[The police inspector] described the act of taking photographs as ‘silly’ and ‘gay’ and ‘stupid’,’ said a representative from law firm Bindmans. ‘When [Mattsson] continued to state the lawfulness of his behaviour, the inspector declared it was ‘dangerous’ as he was ‘likely to be trampled on by soldiers’ from the parade.’
‘The treatment of the police towards our client, a 15-year-old, was shocking,’ said Bindmans solicitor Chez Cotton. ‘The inspector’s comments were designed to belittle.’
Jules Mattsson
When Mattsson ‘politely’ said that the police were not entitled to interfere with the act of taking photographs of a public event, he was told that he posed a threat under the Terrorism Act. The inspector is reported to have told Mattsson, ‘You were being silly, you were running around being stupid and gay.’
Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive of Stonewall, issued a statement condemning the incident. ‘It is a matter of grave concern that even now Metropolitan Police officers feel emboldened to use homophobic language like this,’ he said. ‘It further damages the confidence in the Metropolitan Police’s ability to protect the gay community in London.’
Mattsson has posted a recording and his photographs from the incident on YouTube. ‘It is important we hold the police to account on press and photography freedoms,’ he told The Independent. ‘If I hadn’t recorded what had happened it would have been my word against five officers and I doubt I would have won.’
A YouGov poll conducted for Stonewall has shown three quarters of lesbian, gay and bisexual people who have experienced a homophobic incident in London did not report it to the police, a third of those saying that they didn’t believe their concerns would be taken seriously.
Listen to the full exchange between Mattson and the Metropolitan Police inspector below:
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