DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Police Shut Down A Los Angeles Photo Walk After Mistaking It For A Rave

Feb 2, 2015 by Tiffany Mueller 10 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

photo-walk-shutdown-rave
When most people think of photo walks, they probably imagine a small group of photographers casually strolling down the sidewalk snapping photos of random things along the way. Then there’s FlaskMob, a group of photographers, models, and artists who do photo walks a little bit differently. For example, the photo walk the group organized near downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, was complete with their own mobile DJ, fireworks, steel wool spinners, smoke bombs, and booze. The organizers were expecting approximately 300 participants to show up; however, as word spread via social media, that number quickly grew to about 2000.

Needless to say, the police, who were unaware the event would be taking place, showed up in full force as soon as they caught wind of it. In their initial reports, the police reported the assembly to be a rave which had grown out of control. Another report by the local CBS affiliate called the group a “huge protest”.  After speaking with some of the participants, the police eventually learned the event was actually a photo walk. Still, with no permits and large amounts of people lighting playing with fire (though, to be clear, no damage was reported), the event was destined to be shutdown.

We made the news! #FlaskMob pic.twitter.com/VRijasJbBV

— playdoe (@djplaydoe) February 1, 2015

One photographer in attendance of the event made a post on Reddit calling the event “a complete disaster” and commending the LAPD on doing “a hell of a job overreacting.” The post continued to explain that the assembly was corralled into an alley before being surrounded by officers who forced them to disperse by allowing 10 people to exit the alley at a time. No arrests were made, but, the Redditor claims at one point, an officer “pulled out a shotgun, cocked it, and pointed it at the crowd.”

Last night was a movie #FlaskMob pic.twitter.com/aJ9SecNEI7

— playdoe (@djplaydoe) February 1, 2015

As most of you know, tensions have been very high between police forces and the general public in the past year, especially in large gatherings and assemblies. Some attendees of Saturday’s photo walk are saying the police used unnecessary force and intimidation tactics in order to break up the crowd. To that end, I’m sure the police are saying the group should have notified them of the event ahead of time, acquired the appropriate permits, and not have been lighting things on fire in the street.

[ via Reddit ]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Police tells attorney he can’t film them, Police Chief invites citizens to film the police in response Los Angeles bans photography at concerts in a public park Hypnotic Hyperlapse Shows Los Angeles Transition From Day to Night Cine Gear Expo 2020 in Los Angeles has been cancelled due to coronavirus

Filed Under: news Tagged With: photography is not a crime

Tiffany Mueller: from diyphotography.net

About Tiffany Mueller

Tiffany Mueller is a photographer based in Hawi, Hawaii. You can follow her Twitter here and her personal life here.

« Brush Up On Your Skills With 20 Free Wedding Photography Video Tutorials From Profoto
Nikon Rumored To Release A D810 Version Optimized for Deep-Sky Astrophotography »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Learn photography

Recent Posts

  • AstrHori new 28mm f/13 2x Macro Periscope lens sees round corners
  • Sony World Photography Awards under fire for age limitations in Student contest
  • 5 ways to find inspiration when the weather is sad and grey
  • Photographers, keep an eye out for auroras around the world this weekend
  • How to make beautiful frozen soap bubble photos this winter

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy