It was a protest at the BBC, so important to show this in some way. So there are several pictures which include the ‘BBC’ sign. I did try also to take some pictures in which Broadcasting House, a very recognisable building, was in the background, but people just were not in the right place. I could have asked some people to turn around, but I don’t pose people when covering news stories. The two other pictures with a BBC sign also had someone holding a Palestinian flag as well as the banner about Venezuela, which I htink is rather confusing. I support Palestine, but the flag was out of place.
A rather clear statement of a point of view very relevant to the protest, and a rather nice graphic. The expression I think suits the picture, as do the dark glasses.
A lively looking speaker and a couple of Venezuelan flags with a fairly plain background. I took several of her speaking and I think this was the best.
Another poster with a clear and colourful message – which doubly incorporates the Venezuelan flag, which is also repeated three times at the right of the frame. It doesn’t worry me that there are some rather random figures in the backgroun – and of course they were not under my control when I took the picture. The man’s head just above the poster is a little odd – and it does looks as if he could be holding the poster.
What would have been again a little confusing is that the woman with the poster is actually holding not a Venezuelan flag but an Ecuadorian flag (and is I think Ecuadorian.) The three flags of Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela are all similar, and in this picture there is no way of knowing which this one is. Other pictures clearly show the difference, with the wider band of yellow and the coat of arms in the centre. The three countries gained independence in 1822 as a confederation, Gran Colombia, and although they later separated, retain flags based on the tri-colour of Venezuelan military leader and revolutionary Francisco de Miranda (1750-1816).
Miranda spent some time in London, where he was welcome as he was plotting to end the Spanish domination of South America, and there is a striking statue of him not far away from where this protest was taking place, in Fitzroy St. Miranda’s life story is an remarkable one, too far-fetched to be fiction, including involvement in the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolution as well as in South America.
More at Hands Off Venezuela.
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