Someone to watch over me

Thanks to Tal Cohen for his quick footwork in documenting this young chap helping me with a loose lens filter at the EDL demo last week.

A very British non event

Frankly, if the EDL are only going to send 10 confused looking blokes when half the Met has been briefed, fed, watered & deployed to hold back their terrifying menace then I'm not about to waste good Xmas drinking time editing the the pictures. So they're a week late. Tough.

Even when they have a pop at me (and three of these buggers tried it on last Sunday) they just wave their hands around like Bad Mummy. This guy waving at me, Joel Titus, is meant to be one of their major assets. Yes, really.

I do think I deserve better thuggery after all these years.

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No hole dark enough

Racists come and racists go but Searchlight will always be on their tail.

The anti-fascist magazine that just won't let up.

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documenting racism
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Cotall St Squatters evicted

About 250 squatters who had taken over the unoccupied flats in Cotall St, Tower Hamlets were evicted 11 December by High Court enforcement officers backed by van loads of police in an early morning swoop.

Summer time raves and reports of joyous sex on the roofs had led to local residents feeling left out. The block will now be demolished. Fun? Parties? We can't have that sort of thing going on in Tower Hamlets.

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The Wave Climate Demo London

Tens of thousands of people took part in climate change protests around the UK ahead of the Copenhagen summit. In London 50 - 100,000 people joined in The Wave wearing carrying something blue to give the effect of a giant wave passing through the city. After the march a Climate Camp set up in Trafalgar Square.

I've never seen so few police on a large protest march - and as a result it was relaxed, friendly and peaceful. Could the cops finally be learning that it's them who cause most the trouble?

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Vigil in memory of Ian Tomlinson

Eight months on the family of Ian Tomlinson gather near the spot where he died in continuance of their campaign for a proper enquiry.

After an initial wave of rationality following the G20 policing shows all the signs of reverting to its standard kneejerk authoritarianism mode.

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Rain, anti fascist history, more rain and a curry

Why does it always do industrial strength Noah's Flood rain when I go on one of David Rosenberg's fascinating East End walks?

On a much warmer Sunday 75 years ago Charlie Goodman (in the photo) was arrested as he and members of all the east end communities united to stop Moseley's fascists from marching through their neighbourhood. The Battle of Cable Street that followed, portrayed in the mural seen here, was a milestone in anti fascism and a reminder that racism and oppression will always be defeated by unity.

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RIP molars

RIP lower right four. RIP lower right 5.

















My nice Hungarian gnashers came off second best when the Bad Boys of the Met sent their lad in to give me a seeing to at the G20. Tried to save them but they were smashed to bits so it's soup and soft bread this week.

Youth Fight For Jobs

With youth unemployment at a record high and plans to slash funding for youth training schemes students gather in central London as "Youth Fight for Jobs"  (YFJ) to demonstrate over jobs and tuition fees. London November 28, 2009.

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Watching the Detectives

Two cops who'll never win awards for subtlety watch a protest outside the Trafigura offices in Portman St, London.

Trafigura is the company who, having very profitably and quite deliberately, dumped toxic waste in the Ivory Coast killing or seriously poisoning tens of thousands of people, used the law firm Carter Ruck to try to suppress publication of the truth and even to prevent parliament being reported. Humans don't come much more contemptible than this sick, evil bunch.

Stokey Girls - Making Ends Meet

A blowy, rainy November night. Sarah and Vicky working the traffic, chatting to the cops and trying to raise the rent money. They're getting married next year and I'm booked for the photos!

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Racists march to the Cenotaph

Why do we let these failed nazis desecrate the Cenotaph every year?

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A rainy morning with radical Jewish ghosts

Wonderful blowy rainy walk through Spitalfields back streets remembering libertarian anarchists like Rudolph Rocker who, a non Jew, learned Yiddish and worked to build the first organised groups of underpaid Jewish workers. And then a hot mustardy salt beef beigel for the bus home.


Thanks to David Rosenberg


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English Defence League - Trick or Treat?

EDL were back in Piccadilly today disappointing photographers again. Even this supporter of secular democracy and free speech is a bit underwhelmed.
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No Platform for Nazis

Maybe I should have just stayed round the back and snatched Nazi Nick's burly minders but in the end I couldn't resist the energy of the crowd. It was horribly like the tuck shop queue at school.

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making dinner

John Dory are amazingly tough, steel strong fins with needle points. But I won.

mistaken identity

"Pitbull" Eddie Thompson was sitting in his car in Hackney when two men walked up and shot him in the chest through the open window. Police believe he was shot in error, mistaken for someone else. Hackney's a bit edgy like that.

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carrots is all

Broadway market. Sunshine, coffee, a natter - and these will go nicely with a baked John Dory.

Tulip Stairs, Queens House, Greenwich

Beautifully proportioned and elegant stairs in this 17th Century summer house by Inigo Jones. Although known as the Tulip Stairs the decorations are Fleur de Lys.

Dull afternoon - time for some drugs

Methedrone, a legal designer drug. I don't mind photographing it but my nose has other plans.

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Need Sunshine!

Grey sky but there's still one little glow in my suddenly autumnal garden.

BNP Richard (Confused) Barnbrook found guilty at tribunal.

Barnbrook explains that his racist claim based on non existent murders was due to dyslexia or to to being confused or a left wing plot or it didn't matter or it was a left wing plot or only a minor point or a left wing plot or utter hypocrisy or .... (sorry, the will to live has temporarily left me).

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English Defence League - BNP Stalking Horse?

The English Defence League had a little wander about in Piccadilly scaring a few children and enriching the bars. A dull day apart from their half hearted attack on the press. Combat 18's heirs? More like Wombat 18.

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I'm A Photographer, Not A Terrorist

A great day at Canary Wharf. More than 100 photographers turned out in the sunshine to make the point that spaces used by the public are spaces where photography should be welcome. Recording our society is an important part of culture, rules preventing it must go.

English Defence League - Politics by Provocation

Demonstrators from the BNP linked English Defence League stage an anti Muslim demonstration outside Harrow Mosque during Friday prayers to provoke the local youth into battles with police attempting to keep the factions apart. There was some violence with bottles, rocks and fireworks thrown and a handful of arrests but no serious trouble.

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You say "Banker"

The smug banker stands in the sunshine outside Barclays looking at the Climate Camp protest against Barclays' involvement in the arms trade and in coal. He tells me "I've made £12m for the bank and had 7 pints today." Then he licks his Cornetto and pokes out his tongue before strolling off with his mates.

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Lullaby of Birdland

It's not the Blair Witch Project come to Kent, it's just the real face of the countryside where your dinner gets made.

Possibly time to go eat worms

A long and fruitless night, hungry and dehydrated trying to get a glimpse of the virulently anti-Semitic Imam Sheikh Abdur Rahman al-Sudais (see http://bit.ly/3SXtt7) who was conducting evening prayers at the mosque in Whitechapel, London.

With a crowd of more than 12,000 jamming the streets he easily nipped in, had a quick pray and nipped out again without being seen by me or any of my hawk-eyed spotters.

All I got was the fan base awaiting his arrival and looking at me without showing a great deal of love for my presence.

Win some, lose some.

Bitter? Moi?

George Galloway’s plan exposed by Regent's Canal graffiti artist:

1 Swat away Jim Fitzpatrick
2 Take over from Boris in time for the Olympics
3 A few small changes to the parades at the Stratford Stadium

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Sex in the Street

Soho sex workers thanking the Soho community for helping to keep women’s doors open so they can work in the safety of their flats. Attempts to close down premises were defeated in court after local people turned out to defend working women as an integral part of the diverse community. Shortly afterwards, Mayfair sex workers also successfully defeated attempts by Westminster to close their doors.
Organised by Soho Working Girls & English Collective of Prostitutes

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Still scraping the swill off my cameras

As the credit crunch continues to put people out of work and push the lowest paid into poverty you'll be relieved to know that the bankers are still getting their bonuses. This week’s announcement that Goldman Sachs have earmarked $6.65 billion for executive compensation and bonuses was celebrated by Chris Knight and the Government of the Dead holding a Pigswill Party on the steps of the Bank of England, their symbolic snouts deep in the trough of taxpayers' money.
London July 17, 2009

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Lucky with light

I didn't get anything into this year's PPY show but I got lots of free wine AND a nice shot under the bridge on the way there so I feel like a winner anyway.

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Never too old to pull

Lou Kenton (born 1908) served as an ambulance driver with the International Brigade. One of the few surviving members he is shown here at today's annual memorial ceremony to honour the men and women of the International Brigade who fought General Franco and the fascists in Spain 1936 - 1939. Jubilee Gardens, London July 4, 2009.

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Climate Rush

A pleasant summer evening in Grosvenor Square. Tea, cakes and an orang utan to snog. What a civilised way to expose the slippery con of bio fuels. Gallery here.