A civil liberties group sued the New York Police Department Thursday trying to stop its officers from detaining and questioning photographers and filmmakers who take pictures of city landmarks.

The suit was filed on behalf of Arun Wiita, 26, a Columbia University graduate student, who was handcuffed in July after an officer spotted him taking pictures of a Manhattan subway station. He was released after a half hour, saying that he was humiliated by the encounter although never being charged with a crime.

Lawyers for the New York Civil Liberties Union, representing the student said the police had made an abuse violating his First Amendment rights and accused them of systematically harassing photographers taking pictures in public places, which is a legal activity.

"There has been a constant refrain that we've heard from the photography community for several years now," said Christopher Dunn, NYCLU associate legal director and the lead attorney on the case, according to Reuters.

The NYCLU stated that this was not the first case of a photographer being harassed by the police this way. Indian documentary filmmaker Rakesh Sharma complained earlier this year for being harassed in the same way by the police when filming in Manhattan in 2005.

"People cannot be arrested or handcuffed for taking pictures," said Dunn.

Wiita believed the officers had questioned him because of his ethnicity. He was born in the U.S., his family lives in New Jersey, but his mother is from India. He also said that he is seeking compensatory damages, although he does not expect a big payout.

"I would much rather see the NYPD change its procedures," he said

Police spokesperson, Paul Browne said that officers are questioning people photographing the city’s rail infrastructure in order to prevent terrorism.

"On rare occasions the NYPD makes inquiries of individuals photographing subways and infrastructure. Why? Because of the multiple plots to attack the subways since 9/11 involving photography of subways and other targets," he said, according to the Associated Press.