1. A computer-implemented method of video surveillance comprising: receiving an input video sequence from a video sensor or a video storage facility; deriving, using at least one computer processor, at least one first video primitive from said received input video sequence, wherein the at least one first video primitive comprises at least one object descriptor referring to at least one observable attribute of at least one non-stationary object in the video sequence; detecting at least one stationary object in said received input video sequence without reference to another object in said received input video sequence; deriving, using at least one computer processor, at least one second video primitive from said received input video sequence, wherein the at least one second video primitive comprises at least one object descriptor referring to at least one observable attribute of the at least one stationary object in the video sequence; processing at least one rule based on said at least one first video primitive and said at least one second video primitive, said at least one rule is satisfied if the at least one non-stationary object has not been in an exclusion zone around said at least one stationary object for a predetermined length of time, and said at least one rule is not satisfied if the at least one non-stationary object is at least partially within the exclusion zone within the predetermined length of time, said exclusion zone defined around and based on said at least one stationary object, said exclusion zone having a size sufficient to incorporate the at least one stationary object and a portion of the at least one non-stationary object; generating a response if said at least one rule is satisfied.