Don't Take Pictures of Chinese People in the UK

[Ben]

Have you guys seen this? It's all over the medias.

This apparently famous youtube piano player plays a piano in a public space in a big mall. During a recent performance while his cameraman was filming him, some Chinese people approached him and said he was not allowed to film them because of Chinese "image privacy" laws apparently.

I ended up watching the entire 40min video of the incident (there are lots of parts you can skip through to shorten it) and just wow. Also in the end the UK cops pretty much took the side of the Chinese. As of today, the piano he was playing has been cordoned off and security guards placed there. 

Also it appears the Chinese are now youtube stars with millions of views because this went viral. 

Original; full video:

https://youtu.be/65iwnI2hjAA

Updates (short):

https://youtu.be/6BIm-vF-YeY
https://youtu.be/Bm3o18j0MFY

[dogmush]

A master class in how to ensure Chinese dignitaries are videoed and put on YouTube every time they land in the west.

I kinda hope the Commies meet some of those YouTube "pranksters" that run around.

[Ben]

A master class in how to ensure Chinese dignitaries are videoed and put on YouTube every time they land in the west.

I kinda hope the Commies meet some of those YouTube "pranksters" that run around.

And did you see the part where the one Chinaman got aggroed up like he was gonna put down the piano player?

https://youtu.be/65iwnI2hjAA?t=799

[RocketMan]

So Chinese laws are enforceable in the UK?  I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[K Frame]

My response?

"You're not in China. Chinese laws don't apply here. If you want Chinese laws to apply, go back to China."

Of course, in Britain, you'd be immediately jailed for a hate crime.

[Ben]

My response?

"You're not in China. Chinese laws don't apply here. If you want Chinese laws to apply, go back to China."

Of course, in Britain, you'd be immediately jailed for a hate crime.

Pretty much what the guy in the video said, and also pretty much the lady cop's reaction. It was apparently racist of him to call the flags they were holding  "Chinese communist flags".

[dogmush]

I mean, it worked out for him, because now we all know the YouTube channel of some random British pianist, but the best response is probably  some version of: "No, I will not stop doing [thing I am allowed to do] and I don't care to discuss it with you. If you are uncomfortable you can leave." And then go back to doing your thing and decline to engage any further.

Less chance to get yelled at, that guy to loose his temper, and you to (in the US) have to shoot him that way.

But it's working out for this guy. I bet his channel is seeing record traffic.

[dogmush]

And in the most predictable outcome yet, the internet has ID'd them all, provided names, social media accounts,  and in one case employers.   Way to stay under the RADAR commies.

https://x.com/stillgray/status/1749634413082935546?s=20

[Ben]

And in the most predictable outcome yet, the internet has ID'd them all, provided names, social media accounts,  and in one case employers.   Way to stay under the RADAR commies.

https://x.com/stillgray/status/1749634413082935546?s=20

Fascinating. Not only are some of them apparently British or dual citizens, but at least some of them have a social media presence, yet are saying they can't be on youtube. 

[Hawkmoon]

It is becoming evident that the Chinese people were making their own video. Ironic that they didn't have a problem filming British citizens without permission, but they (the Chinese) didn't want anyone to film them.

It's also coming out that several of the Chinese are apparently CCP (Chinese Communist Party) functionaries of some sort. They are no trying to get the video taken down, with the result that Brendan (the British pianist) has now appeared on multiple talk shows and podcasts to discuss the incident, and the video has been copied and uploaded all over the Internet.

The Chinese aren't getting any sympathy, and that Transit Authority policewoman is being raked over the coals -- deservedly.

[Ben]

and that Transit Authority policewoman is being raked over the coals -- deservedly.

Absolutely. It's like the UK now has a special totalitarian division specifically to kibosh free speech (and thought). Also, what's the transit authority doing in a mall?

[K Frame]

"Also, what's the transit authority doing in a mall?"

Ensuring that people are transiting within the law, obviously!

Cheerio!

[dogmush]

Absolutely. It's like the UK now has a special totalitarian division specifically to kibosh free speech (and thought). Also, what's the transit authority doing in a mall?

Is train station.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Pancras_railway_station_piano

[Ben]

Is train station.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Pancras_railway_station_piano

Ah, okay. I thought I heard him say he was in a mall.

[Hawkmoon]

Absolutely. It's like the UK now has a special totalitarian division specifically to kibosh free speech (and thought). Also, what's the transit authority doing in a mall?

I believe it isn't a mall -- I think it's an underground station.

[Tuco]

"Mall" is a word that is properly used for many types of public and quasi-public spaces, particularly any pedestrian area or esplanade (but not allees - but who really wants to argue the French).  "Mall" in British English is not exclusive to a building full of merchants.

[HankB]

So this was in the UK . . . but had I seen a bunch of Chicoms in a U.S. mall demanding they not be filmed by a musician at a mall piano, I probably would have whipped out my cell and begun filming them. Which would probably have been the reaction by a great many other bystanders. 

[230RN]

Sorry, but it seems to me the civilized response should have been "Sorry, I won't take any more pictures" regardless of citizenship or chicomness or russcomness or Americomness or Islamness.

We speak so firmly about un-enumerated personal rights, yet...

(I know in the US if you're in a public place, you have no right to complain about picture-taking, but if a person doesn't want you to take pictures of him, that ought to be respected, "legalities" aside.  Don't know how that's covered in formerly great Britain.)

That's the way I see it.

Terry, 230RN

[Ben]

Sorry, but it seems to me the civilized response should have been "Sorry, I won't take any more pictures" regardless of citizenship or chicomness or russcomness or Americaness or Islamness.

We speak so firmly about personal rights, yet...

(I know in the US if you're in a public place, you have no right to complain about picture-taking, but if a person doesn't want you to take pictures of him, that ought to be respected, "legalities" aside.)

That's the way I see it.

Terry, 230RN

Except his cameraman wasn't taking their picture. They were in the background of his video.

[230RN]

^ "Except his cameraman wasn't taking their picture. They were in the background of his video. "

Basically immaterial.  I was going to footnote that I believe certain sects, such as the mentioned "Islamites" are pretty sticky about "graven images."  Also immaterial to this particular case, but also noteworthy in terms of the general civility involved.

In general, though, "buttheads head-butting" in a conflict of perceived rights.

If the photographees were smart, they would have  let it go and nobody would ever have noticed.

Go ahead, you know you want to.

[dogmush]

^^^ I gotta disagree

This is this guy's job.  He makes (or supplements) an income by making piano posting videos.

Since he does it in full compliance with the local laws on the subject, the complainers had no moral right to ask him to ceace his livelyhood because they were doing something in the back ground.  SInce several of the complainers are social media influencers themselves, they know that damn good and well.

Additionally, they were filming somthing for Chinese TV.  If someone had asked them to stop do you think they would have?  Or would they have busted out with filming permits and told that person to F off.


I'm not sure why the you think the "civilized" response was for the person not doing anything wrong to conform to the whims of others. If they didn't want to be videoed in a place where videoing is patently allowed, the "civilized" thing would be for them to remove themselves from that area.

[cordex]

I could certainly come up with a scenario where the piano player or his camera person were the bad guy in all this, but to do so would require ignoring what happened in the video.

[HankB]

Placing yourself in the field of view of the camera filming a musician in a public area is VERY DIFFERENT than if someone were following you around and sticking a camera in your face.

And it doesn't matter if the person doing the complaining is a Chicom, Islamite, or some other sect - they DON'T have any right to walk up to you and impose THEIR supposed values on you.

[French G.]

Give them all a Winnie stuffed toy then take their pictures and post them everywhere.  Problem will never be heard from again once they return to the motherland.

[cordex]

Give them all a Winnie stuffed toy then ...

STOP TOUCHING HER!  YOU ARE NOT THE SAME AGE AS HER!