UK Photographers protest

Hm. I understood that a directive had gone out to every UK police force, telling them not to treat photographers as if they were terrorists.

In the current dull weather I haven't been out swinging my camera, in order to test the water.

yeah, they should be treating them like tourists

I thought I would test the water also, and last week took my partner with on the basis that the cops would be less over-zealous if I had a member of the fairer sex in attendance. Tripod set up opposite the Eye, it took less than 2 minutes for a Met policewoman to come stalking over with a look of grim determination on her quite intimidating face. Before she could open her mouth, my wife had tipped me off & I'd taken the tripod down, dislodged the camera & started walking in the opposite direction.

Call me a coward, but I wanted to get home to enjoy my evening - even if it meant no night shots - without being stopped in public like a common criminal.

There seems to be a London-wide ATM (Anti-Tripod Movement).

I believe it's separate from the other ATM (Anti-Terrorist Movement), since I've been leaned upon to take my camera off its monopod in a London park (Wandsworth Common). Without its monopod I was free once again to click the camera's shutter.

You could try a beanbag. Not as effective as a tripod obviously but quicker to set up and put away when the long arm of the law turns up.

They tend to interfere with the focusing movement. I have used them on safari, though.