One of the things I like about going to photograph protests in London is that you are never quite sure what you will find. Though sometimes it can be a disappointment, and I was a little dissapointed not to find more people in Trafalgar Square to protest against fracking, as were the organisers of the Frack Off protest. I took a few pictures, and then was interrupted by perhaps around 200 people with banners and placards marching in to the square, and rushed to see what was happening.
It turned out to be Compassion in World Farming who had marched from Covent Garden to Trafalgar Square Against Live Animal Exports from the UK. It seems an unnecessary cruelty to crowd them into lorries and drive them long distances before shipping them to the continent for slaughter, but the UK government claims it cannot stop the trade under EU laws on free movement of goods. The protesters say that the EU’s recognition in 1999 of animals as sentient beings rather than “goods” means that this is no longer true.
It was mildly amusing to see a couple of ‘Heritage Wardens’ try to stop several hundred angry animal welfare protesters from coming down the steps from the North Terrace into the square – which the Mayor of London seems to think is his own private demesne and where permission is needed to protest.
But although the protesters were not about to take any notice, they did tell the wardens they would not be there long, and the body of protesters kept on the steps for the short address at the end of the protest before dispersing, not in any way interfering with a church group that was slowly setting up with a gospel choir around the plinth of Nelson’s Column (and I took a few pictures of them too.)
As the protesters against live exports left, I went back to the anti-fracking protest, and was told they would be moving to protest at Downing St in half an hour or so. As I was on my way there to photograph another protest, I promised them I’d try to photograph them there later. Unfortunately I got so involved with photographing that over event that although I looked out for them at times I completely missed them.
The main event I’d come to photograph was a protest against President Putin for his homophobic policies, and to support gay rights in Russia. As might be expected this was a colourful event, and well attended, but it seemed to lack any real focus, with no speeches and little organised chanting. I was just walking around photographing people with interesting placards or dress, and some of those are fine, but I felt something was lacking.
There was also a slight problem that some of the posters were probably not suitable for publication in most media – such as the image above, which was perhaps my favourite from the set. I didn’t include it the the group I sent to Demotix.
There were many images of Putin on display other than that, and many of my pictures show him, as you can see in Putin, ‘Hands Off Queers!’. Among them of course was Peter Tatchell with a poster ‘Vladimir Putin – Czar of homophobia’, but I think I photographed that better on an earlier occasion.
Peter Tatchell at Pride, June 2013
Later in the protest there was some street theatre about Putin and Pussy Riot, and I was lucky to be there as it was being set up, and stood shoulder to shoulder with the TV cameraman who was recording it, rather to the annoyance of another photographer who came too late (others were already by my side and pointing their lenses over my shoulder) and wanted me to move back “so we could all get the picture”. If I’d moved back I would have got a good picture of the back of the cameraman, but not a good view of the players – and other photographers, probably including the complainant – would have moved in front of me.
It would have been better if there had been more space – I was really too close to the action, even with the 16mm, but the performers had chosen to work in the middle of the crowd, and it wasn’t possible to move back.
I took too many pictures of the playlet – and have included too many on My London Diary, it was rather more dramatic than the rest of the event, but it did make me think that this was something that would have been better on video than as still images.
Putin, ‘Hands Off Queers!’
Against Live Animal Exports
Also in Trafalgar Square
Frack Off
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My London Diary : Buildings of London : River Lea/Lee Valley : London’s Industrial Heritage
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