# BBC banned from filming during disability benefits protest in Houses of Parliament **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 23, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968 "2016-03-23T17:25:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/1 "2016-03-23T17:25:49Z")
[One YouTube video is worth a thousand words.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3bTAjn9rUM) [As reported in _The Mirror_, because the BBC doesn’t have anything on the subject](http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bbc-banned-filming-during-disability-7615060): > [@The Free Press](#): > > he BBC were banned from filming inside the Houses of Parliament lobby today, during a protest by disabled people. > > The corporations assistant political editor, Norman Smith, was speaking live from the Palace of Westminster’s central lobby as the noisy protest unfolded behind him. > > During the live broadcast, robed member of Parliamentary staff tapped him on the shoulder and ordered him to stop filming while the protest took place. Jesus fucking Christ. The only saving grace is that it was apparently done by a total idiot, because it’s all over Twitter and [this convenient Reddit thread, which has a number of links to Twitter comments.](https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedkingdom/comments/4bm8gi/the_bbc_have_just_been_told_to_stop_filming_in/) Apparently, the Opposition is even more outraged by it than I am, with one MP leaving the building to join the protesters. If there’s a technical, nit-picky, legalistic reason this _isn’t_ idiotic cack-handed censorship, I’m not interested in hearing it. It _just is not done_ in a civilized society. Protest is not to be swept under the rug, it is to be aired and evaluated in a free and open forum. BTW, I’m using this stunning acquiescence on the BBC’s part as evidence against its independence from Her Majesty’s Government. The BBC obviously knows who has _ultimate_ editorial control. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/2 "2016-03-23T17:58:04Z")
[_The Guardian_ has some interesting tidbits](http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/mar/23/disability-campaigners-occupy-parliament-over-benefit-cuts): > [@The Free Press](#): > > The Green MP, Caroline Lucas, disobeyed the rules to tweet pictures of the protest, including a selfie with one of the organisers. > > [snip] > > The protest ended peacefully just after 1pm, with the campaigners singing “Osborne out” and “we’ll be back”, accompanied by someone playing a harmonica. A protester played a harmonica. The Guthries, _pater_ and _fils_, would be proud. I omitted the technical, nit-picky, legalistic excuse the government used to justify what it did, because it’s forgotten what the rights to free speech and peaceful protest are all about. The UK is supposed to have a Constitution, albeit an unwritten one, and this is contrary to the very notion of a functional democratic polity. (Just because I’ll need to say it sooner or later: Anyone who mentions that the UK is a monarchy is missing the point in a rather spectacular fashion.) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/3 "2016-03-23T18:45:29Z")
Nobody got sucker-punched? Meh. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/4 "2016-03-23T18:59:44Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > I omitted the technical, nit-picky, legalistic excuse the government used to justify what it did, because it’s forgotten what the rights to free speech and peaceful protest are all about. Not sure why you bothered. > [@](#): > > Broadcasting in Central Lobby must be in the context of an interview with a Member or an introduction or commentary on specific business in the House that day. These conditions were not being complied with, so the broadcasters were asked to suspend temporarily. There was specific business in the House. It just wasn’t the MPs’ business. A hearty fuck you to the Government or whatever civil service functionary made the decision. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/5 "2016-03-23T19:05:24Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Nobody got sucker-punched? Meh. No, and that’s one of the things that made the ban on filming so surprising: This was a peaceful protest by all accounts. (Well, not by Aunty Beeb’s account, in which it was a totally non-existent protest of the kind which never occurred.) It didn’t even give the government the fig-leaf justification that broadcasting it might spread violence. They mentioned suicide, sure, but only the suicides of fellow disabled people. They were only calling on Cameron to apologize. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/6 "2016-03-23T19:07:40Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > There was specific business in the House. It just wasn’t the MPs’ business. A hearty fuck you to the Government or whatever civil service functionary made the decision. According to the Guardian article linked by the OP in post #2, the order was given by Black Rod, which is apparently the name for the official charged with Westminster buildings and security. I’m betting that they are going to argue that “specific business” refers only to the scheduled and regular activities of the parliament. The Guardian article also says that “Under parliamentary rules, only authorised photography is allowed.” I’m betting that Black Rod has the authority to give, and to remove, permission for photography. Whether he should be banning photography in cases where the only danger is government embarrassment is something that he and i might have to disagree on. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/7 "2016-03-23T19:10:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > There was specific business in the House. It just wasn’t the MPs’ business. Indeed. Even in terms of their mealy-mouthed self-serving policy, this blackout is unjustifiable: The business of a government is to be responsive to the people, or at least to acknowledge that they’re saying something. (Or, if you want to maintain that the BBC _really is_ independent, to allow the media to acknowledge that they’re saying something.) > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > A hearty fuck you to the Government or whatever civil service functionary made the decision. I certainly agree with you on this. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/8 "2016-03-23T19:22:40Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Whether he should be banning photography in cases where the only danger is government embarrassment is something that he and i might have to disagree on. Well, that’s just it: Black Rod is at least theoretically apolitical. He’s like the Sergeant at Arms of Congress. So it’s none of his business whether the government is being embarassed. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/9 "2016-03-23T19:28:54Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > According to the Guardian article linked by the OP in post #2, the order was given by Black Rod, which is apparently the name for the official charged with Westminster buildings and security. And the Brits use that term with a straight face? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/10 "2016-03-23T19:32:58Z")
How about it. I don’t think J.K. Rowling -Brit notwithstanding- would even use a name like that. Black Rod and The Staff Of Doom. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/11 "2016-03-23T19:36:38Z")
Black Rod is a title, not a name - it refers to the mace that accompanies the office. Technically he is the [Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Rod). ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/12 "2016-03-23T19:38:13Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, that’s just it: Black Rod is at least theoretically apolitical. He’s like the Sergeant at Arms of Congress. So it’s none of his business whether the government is being embarassed. I doubt that he did it because the government was being embarrassed. He did it because that’s a rule that he is supposed to enforce. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/13 "2016-03-23T19:57:56Z")
In other wtf news, footage of Parliament is not allowed to be used for satirical purposes. > **[The Tories say they support a ban on satire about Parliament](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/parliament-satire-ban-house-of-commons-charlie-brooker-tories-a6909391.html)** > > Leader of the House of Commons Chris Grayling said satire about the House of Commons would not be 'appropriate' > [@](#): > > Leader of the House of Commons Chris Grayling said satire about the House of Commons would not be ‘appropriate’ ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/14 "2016-03-24T17:39:18Z")
This is why America is best. We have the Freedom. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-banned-from-filming-during-disability-benefits-protest-in-houses-of-parliament/749968/15 "2016-03-25T09:28:00Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > And the Brits use that term with a straight face? 🙂 Yes. And then we giggle about him behind his back.