Jones Report: Protesters Turn Lens on Mayor's Office Over NY Film Ban

A group of angry citizens led by WeAreChange.org converged on the New York Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. The issue at hand is the Mayor’s new proposed rules for filming in the city that would require additional permits, approvals and insurance policies for simply capturing and recording events in your life.


No information has been put forth by the Mayor’s office to justify the new rules. New York City is one of the most filmed cities in the world and has been for years before and after September 11th. So let’s assume that this has less to do with filming and more to do with information gathering.

The First Amendment States “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Webster’s Dictionary defines abridging as “to cut something short: to reduce something in scope or extent; restrict somebody's rights: to deprive somebody of rights or privileges”. This Amendment is in plain language for the government to always remain the servant and to never intrude in a citizen’s involvement with “watch-dogging” its own government.

“If an opportunity arises for a citizen to ask his public servants a question and record that answer for future record or to provide that answer to other citizens for their consideration, it seems clear that the first amendment would protect them as press”, stated Nate Evans, a 13 year veteran in the film industry specializing in visual effects. “History is full of thousands of examples of individuals who simply started gathering news on their own and printed it. What makes them press is not a degree in journalism.”

Thomas Jefferson said a government that could not stand up under criticism "deserved to fall". Recording politicians and police are necessary, and does not impede them in their job performance in any way except if they let it. News and film crews record soldiers in active combat and it does not affect them.

Jefferson also said, "No experiment can be more interesting than that we are now trying, and which we trust will end in establishing the fact, that man may be governed by reason and truth. Our first object should therefore be, to leave open to him all avenues of the truth".

“I can think of no better truth than that which comes from a camera”, affirmed Nate.