It was reported by video blogger Julio Rausseo aka 1776umphreys that TSA was rolling out its VIPR teams to Union Station in Chicago. One week later, Amtrack security tracked him down while eating at a restaurant inside Union Station and threatened him. He surreptitiously recorded that confrontation.
“I’m telling you to your face, do not video tape us,” the Amtrack officer can be heard telling Rausseo in the video. “If you come beyond that point… if you come like you did before, you’re going to jail, Sir. Because it could be used for terrorist activity. Right now, you’re in violation.”
When Rausseo objected that he was a reporter and not a terrorist, the employee asked: “Did you approach us and ask to take video?”
When the reporter responded, “I didn’t think I had to. I thought this was America,” the Amtrack police official told him, “No, America nothing. You know better.”
It was reported back in December that TSA VIPR teams were going to start rolling out to train stations, bus stations and even to shopping malls. So here we go, if you thought unconstitutional checkpoints on highways was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet. If you photograph TSA doing this, you will be called a terrorist.
Here is the original video report:
Related: Filming Checkpoints is ‘Terrorism’
