Sorry, no photos allowed

posted by jzlomek, Jul 3, 2007 10:05 PM — 2 comments

Two weeks ago, a security guard for developer PFA Silver Spring LLC stopped an amateur photographer as he was taking pictures along Ellsworth Drive, a portion of downtown Silver Spring where county government paid millions of dollars to launch rehab projects. The development company initially claimed photographers needed permission to aim their lenses, but later relented when the incident sparked a debate about public-private partnerships in the pages of the Washington Post newspaper and the online venue Metroblogging DC.

Attorneys for the developer maintain it is reserving the right to modify the photo policy, again, at any time. For now, it adds, no prior permission is required unless large set-ups are needed for broadcast or other purposes. The developer even scheduled a photo contest, with prizes, to counter the critical publicity.

That's where the camera-wielding protesters will be Wednesday.

The Washington Post, 2007-07-01.