>However what is not okay, and I find that pretty reasonable, is taking a picture of someone else unaware of having their picture taken.

That is covered by the law. Background subject? Okay. Foreground subject, picture taken covertly? Not okay. This is well understood.

>.. the narrative you’re trying to construct about some kind of repression on documenting events in the public sphere is just not true.

It’s only a matter of a generation or two, feeling entitled to privacy in a public space, until it is widespread ‘common knowledge’ that nobody can take pictures of anybody. That’s how these things work.

During a regular trip I observed some thugs harassing a woman and her dog in a public park in Berlin. I took their picture, they came to threaten me with violence and insist I delete it - I stalled long enough for the lady to make the call and I waited until the cops arrived.

The cops were grateful that there was a very definite picture of one of the thugs kicking her dog. They made the decision on the spot that I was not to be fined, and the lady thanked me. I sent her and the cops the picture, and I deleted it from my roll.

14th? Room for improvement, then.