I left a very similar account on the SF MOMA blog relating to this issue. I have also emailed their membership department with the same information.

As a street photogapher, I am quite used to being confronted by security. When they are polite and reasonable, I respond in kind. When they don’t care to listen to my explanation that I have just spent five minutes setting up my tripod and exposure, white balance, etc… then I am quite ready to have to police arrive and solve the situation for us.

Knowing before you go in what the rules are for an establishment is very important. Understanding the rights of the photographer in public is equally important.

I find that almost all of the people who take the side of Mr. Blint in this case are unaware of our rights as photographers. They do not care to read the facts in this case: Mr. Hawk carefully researched the rules of the museum, and is familiar with the law, and carefully acted within these constraints.

These people protesting that Hawk has no right to photograph people in public, are they out there protesting the thousands of security cameras filming them on a daily basis? I doubt it.