A second paparazzi brawl in Malibu on Sunday

So we're sitting here on the deck of my house (well, trailer, really) in Paradise Cove yesterday, minding our own business and trying to stay cool, when a sheriff's helicopter starts circling above. It's about 6 p.m., the heat is breaking and the Paradise Cove Beach Cafe, a wildly popular restaurant on the sand, is jammed.

A friend, Diana, is here to shoot an assignment for a photo class -- environmental portraits -- and she heads to the beach to find surfers. What she gets instead is a series of increasingly hostile questions about what she's doing on the beach with a camera (already answered) and whether she's a paparazzo. (Ummm, no.)

Diana says as much to several young men who clearly don't believe her. (And don't have the sense of a sand flea, considering she's got a tripod, a flash and one of those white photo flash umbrellas tucked into her beach tote, which has her initials on it. Not exactly the crash-and-grab set-up of a pap rat.) They threaten her a bit and scare her a lot until a tatooed surfer believes her and lets Diana shoot his photo for her assignment.

Turns out the helicopter that circled for 20 minutes and the sirens that followed were L.A. County sheriff's deputies responding to a brawl near the cafe, where a pack of paparazzi were trying to get a shot of (we're told, but didn't see him) Colin Farrell.

Considering the dust-up that happened on Saturday at Little Dume, a lovely cove just a quarter mile north of here, where a bunch of surfers menaced the pack of papratz stalking Matthew McConaughey, and the anti-paparazzi law our fair city of Malibu has vowed to pass, this isn't the last we'll be hearing on this particular topic. (Oh -- and that's a shot of the pack waiting at the foot of the road to Britney Spears' house last fall.)

-- Veronique de Turenne

Comments

[JAMES]

That is the funniest video ever...did you see the size of the surfers..140lb dripping wett, and the photographers were running for dear life. I for one have seen some pretty big boy photographers who would man handle these malibu nerd surfers...unfortunately for celebs you choose that career so either move or become a plumber....

[trey_trey]

so you thought that it was wise for your friend to go down there with a camera? sounds like someone was looking for trouble. hoping for your first big "scoop", perhaps? Avez-vous pensé qu'il pourrait vous faire célèbre ?

[Veronique]

Hi Trey -

I live at the Cove and shoot photos there every day for my blog, hosted on LA Observed. Diana and I had no idea what was going on when she headed down to the beach with her camera. It was only as the incident unfolded that we understood exactly why people were so angry.

Veronique

[rob cook]

What is law doesnt really matter in this case.Only surfers understand where their coming from.I used to work at paradise cove and if you dont live there you dont come filming the waves.It sounds really stupid but you gotta understand the concept.That area is next to the most crowded Spot and summer time crowds dont help,so the like to "protect" their small PRIVATE SURF BREAKS.Its a public beach but if you dont live their you dont surf there or film surfing there.Its a very good uncrowded beak.YES the kids that live in that area are RICH SPOILED BRATS ,And looked like idoits ,verry deep OC or Lauguna beach tv show retards but i see where theyre coming from alil bit lol.Seems like everybody wants to be a tough guy ,but its time for the paparazzi to take notice that theyre not gonna ruin peoples lifes and be a pain in the ass in Malibu and were gonna sit back and let it go over cool.I BET THEY DONT COME AROUND FILMING OUR SURF AGIN AND THATS WHY IT WAS DONE.

[Jeff C.]

Seriously, is this ruckus over 90's celeb and as of late, not much $$$ at box office star, Matthew McConaughey. I will admit, he is still hot.

[Pat]

Yeah...Rob? Maybe you should start learning how to use that grammar thing instead of surfing.

[CD]

Hmmm... nope. Still no sympathy for the paparazzi...

[spicnspan]

" .I BET THEY DONT COME AROUND FILMING OUR SURF AGIN AND THATS WHY IT WAS DONE."...

To the contrary Rob, they will be back more often than before, you can count on it. That bunch of spoiled kids just made paparazzi bashing more newsworthy than ever.

[TSmith]

The clash between the surfers and the paparazzi incident didn't occur at crowded Paradise Cove, but at the beach at Little Dume, about 1/2 mile away. I'm there every weekend year-round because my b/f lives on a cliff right above the beach. I almost always have my camera with me. I take pictures of waves, rocks,sailboats, pelicans... an occasional surfer from afar.

I've never seen Papparazzi at this hard-to-access strip of beach before. There are several celebrities who use it and surf there and no one ever bothers them. And no one has ever bothered me for taking pictures of waves and birds and the crazy rock sculptures.

When a young man playing Frisbe turned to me as I walked by and asked me if I was "paparazzi too", I laughed. My boyfriend laughed. I realize now that it could have been worse for me too if they had decided to harrass me. I'm glad they did not.

It's a shame that the paparazzi do not respect privacy. It is very unsettling. And it is a shame that every person carrying a camera on this beach, even locals, will now be scrutinized and possibly subjected to harrassment.

[NorCal]

They just invited more cameras and more police and ruined the beach seen for everyone that wanted to go to the beach, chill, catch some waves,and drink a few beers. What a bunch of dummies. If Matthew did not want to be photgraphed, then he would have caught a plane to some exotic surf spot for the weekend....

[paparazzo1]

Uh, perhaps all of us need to re-read the United State Constitution. In it you will find two very important amendments that most United State Citizens don't seem to understand very well:
The FIRST AMENDMENT - and freedom of the press. (I know, ha, ha - the "paparazzi" aren't considered "real" press - yet the point being made in the Constitution is that we are ALL free to observe and report and speak about what we see and hear and to let others know about it). In other words - you don't need a "press credential" to take pictures of anything considered "newsworthy" and whether you like it or not, celebrities surfing, shopping, walking, running, etc... is newsworthy to hundreds of millions of people around the world.
The FOURTH AMENDMENT - which is the ONLY PLACE in the Constitution you find reference to "right to privacy" and it only applies to your HOME. In other words - when you are in public, there is NO SUCH THING as a "right to privacy" and the police and government KNOW THIS! So should you - because EVERYWHERE YOU GO there are cameras filming you. Even while you sit at a stop light or go in for a coffee.

You may not "like" the paparazzi - and may not "like" having your picture taken, but it's only a picture. It won't hurt you. If you are doing something illegal and don't want to be photographed (like drinking alcohol on a PUBLIC BEACH, or committing violent crimes against persons, I suggest you cease and desist post haste, because THE PRESS will nail you, then you are going to be SUED and even more likely be put in jail as well.

So ignore the cameras and leave the beer and drugs at home and enjoy your day at the beach.

p.s. I don't "like" a lot of things - like fat white trash and ignorant idiots - doesn't give me the right to threaten, beat, and / or otherwise cause harm to them.

[Ziggy Stardust]

So much anger in the world.

[Les]

TSmith:

"It's a shame that the paparazzi do not respect privacy."

Just a reminder that NO ONE has an expectation of privacy IN PUBLIC!

Want privacy? Stay home!

[JP]

Since when is Little Dume a public beach? These paparazzi need to respect private property. They got what they deserved.

[MG]

Having dated surfers, who are really nice, calm guys, I completely support their defense of the beach. Ratzies are nothing but in-your-face scum who invade the personal sphere of anyone and everyone they want, but when it comes to people saying "enough already!" they are the first to call for the police :/
Many ratzies are not even American but come here from somewhere else and have the audacity to whip out and quote our Constitution when it suits their purpose.
Having been the direct cause of Princess Diana's death is not enough for these douche-bags - nope, they have to pursue more and more celebs and bystanders - causing car accidents and bullying people out of their way to get a photo. Well now its their turn, jack.

MG

[James duBois]

These kids are so disillusioned that they don't realize they have it made: uncrowded beach, perfect waves, and no police. If you don't like Paparazzi try Venice or Zuma. Spoiled, ignorant kids (taught by their coastal redneck parents) ruined it for those of us who would gladly take the paps over the rest. Mconaughey will find another pristine surf spot, but you just ruined yours.

[Thomas]

Put the surf punks in jail... no one has the right to attack and batter anyone for taking a picture... PERIOD... do the crime... do the time...

Signed a 33 year surfer

[Gorgon Morales]

This is so hilarious surfers tring to be gangsters in malibu, MALIBU? Get real fools you wanna be hard come to the hood and show out! maybe me and my homies show up with some cameras at the beach and see wassup then. Probly not much. Fools have the right to photograph if they want public property.

[Shutterbug]

This is very disturbing for several reasons. In the new age of the American police state in wake of 9/11, the authorities are clamping down on photographers like never before. Police are questioning tourists and regular people for photographing landmarks, architecture and transportation hubs. Private companies who run public spaces are not allowing photographers like the incident at the DC train station. And now the public is turning against photographers. I went the TMZ website and all of the comments support the beatdown of the paps. It's ironic that all of the visitors to TMZ realize that photographers produce the very content they consume. I was kicked out of a carnival street fair by the police and carny who confronted me because I did not have any press credentials. Trust me Americans, if photography ever is banned (even the paps), the world will NOT be a pretty place to live. And no more TMZ, sorry fanboys and girls.

[GEAH]

MG, be careful not to anger those nice surfer boys you date. If they don't like something you do, they won't let the law stop them from sending some serious violence your way.

Good luck, young lady.

[Marcos El Malo]

Shutterbug,

There is a reason that people don't support the poor paparazzis who were victims of this terrible violence. The reason is that paps are scum with no respect for others and no sense of limits or decency. A paparazzi will shove your grandmother into traffic if she's in the way of the shot. They'll force your car off the road if you're in the way of their vehicular pursuit of a celebrity.

Malibu has it worse than any other place, but this happens ALL OVER L.A. and the people of L.A. are sick of it. This is why the surfers were applauded.

If you don't want the public turned against paparazzi, maybe it's time you started policing yourselves. And truth be told, if TMZ and all those types of sites went out of business from lack of photos, the world would be a better place. If losing TMZ is the cost we must pay to keep the paparazzi scum at bay, then I'll gladly pay it.

[logan]

OMG. You paparazzi defenders are all idiots. You can't be serious. Don't go quoting the constitution when you're forgetting the purpose and meaning of it. We are all free to pursue a life of liberty and happiness. When Capitalism begins to spawn a lifestyle which impinges upon our ability to pursue happiness and liberty, there will always be a war. Fact. Ok, maybe you're out there doing your jobs but you have to be a complete moron to not realize that the industry you are involved with is all about money and completely vacant of any morals or ethics. You make life difficult not only for the people that you 'stalk' and 'pursue', you make life difficult for the everyman, like myself, who sometimes want some peace and quiet. When you harrass people and move in packs without any care for people's local culture, you will find yourself in ruin. Just as you may criticize the U.S. for it's bullying tactics and imperialistic foreign policy, I call attention to the fingers pointing back at you. Tread lightly and RESPECT local cultures, and you will in turn find respect. Unfortunately for the paparazzi, local cultures are but an image, a backdrop for the victim of their vacuous, money driven jobs.

[duke]

The mayor of Malibu announced on Good Morning America that she is working on ordinances to restrict the First Amendment. What's troubling with this twisted leadership, or lack thereof, is that this attack was on a 'public' beach. These spoiled rich kids were drinking beer, as shown in the videos. They provoked and attacked, which by state law is called "assault and battery."

Certainly, the paparazzos need to have some type of limitations on how they operate, most notably for the inherent public safety risks they cause in their pursuits of the celeb shots. One way would be to contain our own fascination and curiosity and not support this by refusing to buy the magazines and tabloids. The demand to see the how the other side lives is the driving force for this lucrative cottage industry.

Perhaps Malibu's mayor should consider having her law enforcement agency and the local prosecution do their job, protect the public from these local gang bangers. Take off the sunglasses and enforce the existing laws that pertain to assault and battery, destruction of others' property, public drunkenness and attempted homicide (the man who was dragged into the water) are a few that are evidenced in the videos. But the local authorities, presumably under sanction by the mayor, turned their collective heads the other way and focused on the 'outsiders' with cameras.

Where are the arrests for this thuggery? Now any family or individual on an outing to the beach must get permission from these criminals to take a camera to the beach? Cawabunga, dudes.

[Jorge]

Wow! As a surfer, I am embarrassed at some of the comments by some surfers and the bubbleheads who 'date' them. Selfish, greedy and clueless jocks. And the celebs all live in the same community, like frat boys and sorority girls who can't figure out where else to sleep and eat.

I'll go anywhere I like and take anyone's picture I want to. In fact, this makes me want to go right down there and start shooting: celebs, punk surfers, and the cops who got paid off. I'll make sure I bring a nice little 'tripod' with me so I can crack a bleached-blonde melon or two.

[Al]

With all the big bucks these guys make from just one shot (hundreds of thousands sometimes) why don't they hire their own bodyguards-thus eliminating the threat of attack.
I'm sure Harvey Levin with his extremely lucrative TMZ.com could spare a few bucks to protect his paps!
No publicity is bad publicity!

[rustysettler]

The paps brought bodyguards during the second brawl on Sunday and the surfers got their asses kicked. You can see footage on the web of one bodyguard knocking out about 3 little surfer punks.

[KB]

Funny how everyone hates the paparazzi, yet the tabloid shows and magazines are a multi-billion dollar industry.

Taking pictures in public is legal. Get over it. Fight the law, not the citizen if you don't like it, but good luck.

How can you feel sorry for someone who chose to be a commercial movie actor and celebrity, yet complains about being photographed? Most of these actor call Entertainment tonight and tell them where they are going to dinner that night, then act surprised when the photogs show up.

If those punks don't want their beach to be photogrpahed, they should pony up the money and buy the damn place. They have no more right to be there than anyone else.