MET Police have been slammed after the force fined a man £90 for refusing to take part in a ‘facial recognition’ camera trial.
The man refused to be scanned for the controversial facial recognition scheme.
The force claimed: “Anyone who declines to be scanned will not necessarily be viewed as suspicious” but this was not the case and The Independent reported that witnesses said several people were stopped after covering their faces or pulling up hoods.
Met Police
Big Brother Watch said one man “simply pulled up the top of his jumper over the bottom of his face, put his head down and walked past,”
“There was nothing suspicious about him at all … you have the right to avoid [the cameras], you have the right to cover your face. I think he was exercising his rights.”
After the man hid his face, a plainclothed police officer reportedly followed the man before a group of officers “pulled him over to one side”.
The eyewitness said they “demanded to see the man’s identification” which he gave them.
The man became “accusatory and aggressive”.
“The guy told them to p*** off and then they gave him the £90 public order fine for swearing,” Ms Carlo added. “He was really angry.” said Big Brother Watch.
Several other people were stopped in North East London, including a student who had pulled his hood up.
Liberty human rights group said they spoke to a youth worker who was stopped because he “looked like someone” on a watchlist, but had been misidentified.
Scotland Yard said the two-day deployment of cameras in Romford would be the last of 10 trials of the controversial technology.
Article Courtesy of The Independent – READ MORE
