While every other photographer was heading to Harrow a couple of weeks ago to try to photograph and expected clash between racist demonstrators and Muslims, I took the tube out to Canning Town instead. Partly because I thought there would be plenty of other photographers at Harrow and there were, but also because I wanted to make sure that someone at least was there to photograph the ‘Memorial Procession for Victims of the Arms Trade’ organised by ‘East London Against the Arms Fair’ (ELAAF) on the final day of the government-sponsored Defence Systems & Equipment International (DSEi), the world’s largest arms fair, taking place at the ExCeL centre.
Preparing to launch the wreath on to the water opposite the arms fair
ELAAF is a small group that holds regular demonstrations to oppose holding the arms fair in its local area, and I didn’t expect a huge crowd. But it was a dignified if small protest and I was pleased to be able to record it and get it some publicity on independent media sites.
More about it – and more pictures on My London Diary.