Nashua students protest for teachers, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

A photo and video shoot ended quickly for me this morning at Nashua High
School North, as I was asked to leave school property by the principal
after videotaping students protesting outside the school. They were
there early, toting signs in support of the teachers who are negotiating
a new contract with the city. Our newspaper was invited by the students,
and we check out their Facebook forum out before going to see what they
would be up to.

They were very organized and quickly gravitated to my video camera, not
having a clue as to who I was or where I worked. I try not to identify
myself right away in events like this, so that the subjects will go
about their business as if I'm not there. But they quickly started to
wave and say "Hi mom" into the camera, as if on stage.

One of the female students asked me to leave, saying the group would
then go to class. But was that the case? Where they only there to be
videotaped? Many were saying they would be on t.v. I just let them do
their thing. And I explained to the girl that I would stay there as long
as the kids were protesting, unless I was asked to leave by an
administrator.

Well, it wasn't long (actually about two minutes after I arrived) that
the principal and a school police officer asked me to leave the
property. Out of respect, I did. But did the students go to class when
the camera was put away? Some did, and others stayed to continue the
picket.

It's too bad video or t.v. camera become a magnet for people. It's not
just kids. I've seen many adults act in unusual ways once the camera is
pointed at them. As visual journalists, we strive to capture people and
events in a natural way, not encouraging or discouraging the subjects,
or directing them in any way. I usually put the camera down, or point in
another direction, when people smile for the camera, or wave. Who taught
them how to do that anyway?

Check out a video of the protest on nashuatelegraph.com
--Bob Hammerstrom