Respectfully, but illegal, ethical and emotional are three seperate things. I can be legal and ethical and it still may make you sad or angry. Many people confuse emotional reaction with ethics. Whether a photo was taken in a "degrading, violative way without their consent" is purely subjective and impossible to enforce, and I would submit, even to define. I wouldn't even notice a camera with a long lens taking a picture of me from across the street, much less feel denigrated. My personal opinion is we have too many people in today's culture who think they have a right to not be offended or feel uncomfortable. There is no such right.

Street photography is an art and protected by 1st amendment, even if it makes you "feel" uncomfortable. I'm not claiming every photographer is good at it or even producing art... but it is their right in a public space where there is no expectation of privacy. The cops in NYC were wrong and a call to their precinct commander would have solved that. Unless she was under federal witness protection (she obviously isn't, her photo is on twitter) they had no reason to ask or demand the photog to delete the pics. By the way, she looks tiny and probably about 95 lbs. I don't know how she held a photog in place for 40 minutes. I doubt the truthfullness of her entire account of the incident. I might have kept walking and let her drag behind.

My suggestion, if someone taking your picture makes tears stream down your face, then wear a ball cap low and a hoody or a veil. Or grow up.

P.S. For the record, I am not a dirty old man. I don't even do street photography because it doesn't interest me. But I am a former journalist/sports videographer who has covered a whole range of human experience... sports (with crowd reaction), fires, dead bodies, perp walks, funerals and festivals, hurricane homeless and Mardi Gras parades. I shot what I saw and we told the story at 6 & 10. As long as I was legal and ethical, I didn't worry about anyone's "comfort" or "feelings."

Sounds like she has some serious mental issues. In CA for example, one is considered an Adult and photographible in public places. It is frowned upon in most locations to day to photograph minors with out a parent or guardian's permission. But the laws in most places for street photography are pretty much in the photographers favor. Not sure why this young lady is so overly sensitive about having her photo taken. It does not sound she is an heiress to Billions and fears kidnapping. She chooses to live in a huge city, NYC and expects so sort of isolation from attention? She then should stay away from Los Angeles for sure, sunny days and people running around nearly unclothed every where. And photographers galore.