sousveillance

Catching up - but no chance of catching Blair

2011-01-21T14:08:00.000-08:00

The real pros were there at 6 this morning but no way was I missing my muesli for a grab of that slippery war criminal slinking his twilight way into the Chilcott enquiry. Better to get him post Hague trial, here's a phuturegraph -

and here are the others.

I've been a bit slack putting work up. Too many demos too close to each other. Too much chasing of TSG criminals and too much spending of compensation money before the buggers get me next time.

My website has the stuff I've missed from here, I'll try & keep up better this year.

The weariness of the long distance snapper

2010-11-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

Energy, chaos and anger fuelled one fast march today. Starting suddenly from Trafalgar Square with a Whitehall sprint a few thousand annoyingly fit students reversed, ran through the park and headed off towards St James leaving a trail of puffing photographers and red faced cops.

Then they sped up, Vauxhall Bridge Road, back to Westminster, Piccadilly, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Holborn, Aldwych, a few futile attempts by police to block the way were simply ignored. Then St Pauls, Barbican and back to Trafalgar Square. Quite a workout.

The sense of betrayal over the LibDems broken promises is getting stronger, not diffusing. Perhaps the Christmas break will let the pressure drop but there's still a couple of weeks to go and I wouldn't bet on it.
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Schoolgirls try to save police van in violent protest

2010-11-24T11:43:00.000-08:00

For some strange reason a rather old police van was left on its own, unguarded in the middle of the march. The results were predictable.

Then the schoolgirls arrived!

They were protecting the police van - apparently left in middle of demo by police to be trashed for the cameras. The girls were saying it was just to discredit the protest and were trying to stop the attacks on the van.

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EDL leader charged with assault on police

2010-11-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

With one conviction for assaulting a police officer behind him the English Defence League's leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (with V-sign) who prefers to be known by the more marketable name of Tommy Robinson was up before the beak today once again charged with assaulting a police officer.

The EDL are one of the most threatening groups seen on the streets for many years, Their 'literature' repeats again and again that they are not a racist group yet they march past mosques yelling "Allah is a paedo" and "Allah, Allah. Who the f**ck is Allah". They never miss an opportunity to insult Muslims by burning religious texts and selectively distorting Koranic quotations.

It's pretty clear that the EDL are intent on provoking violence by British Muslims and will continue to make trouble around the country in hope of kindling sufficient anger to attract white British racists to their number. They are the most unpleasant, corrosive and dangerous political group I've covered in 35 years of photographing Britain's pond life.

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Soft demo, no rain.

2010-11-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

An energetic and confident Stop the War march today but smaller than I'd expected. And largely policed by the City police, not the Met. Some speculated that this was a friendly desire on the Met's part to share the overtime with Christmas coming, others that the Met were in the doghouse after Millbank Towers and our multimillionaire cabinet wanted a more reliable concierge service. Slightly more likely is that they were keen to get a lot more PCs experienced in public order work PDQ. I'd expected more nervous policing and glad to be disappointed.

Remember the energy and determination of the 2003 march? Why was there no political group ready to organise that?

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Topsey Turvey land comes to Kensington

2010-10-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

After 35 years of photographing British racists as they scream, yell and hiss "Yid", "Hebe", "Hymie", "Ikey", "Kike" and other rather more biological words it's disorienting to see them waving Israeli flags, demanding that True British support Israel and watching them cheer an orthodox (if bonkers) Rabbi. A case of my enemies enema perhaps?

Yesterday's turnout was a bit rubbish, barely 200 bothered to turn up and chant their way from the pub to the pen the police had set up for them.

Someone tossed a cup of water onto the mixing deck, giving the vitriolic, hate filled speeches a nice 'from the bunker' feel but I still feel cleaner with these racists cursing Jews than I do when they are sucking up to them. Not that their love of Israel stops them trying to thump me at every opportunity.

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Here come the cuts - and the protests begin

2010-10-21T03:56:00.000-07:00

They do these things better in France, petrol bombs are so photogenic.

Just hours after the first cuts are announced 2-3,000 students marched angrily and energetically through central London to Downing Street for a rally and speeches.

All a bit predictable but this is just the first of what is going to be a long, steady, growing escalation of resistance as these attacks on living standards aimed squarely at the poorest and the least responsible for the financial meltdown start to bite.

While benefits, housing and education are slashed. While health services are flogged off to private 'enterprise' the rich (that's wheer the bank's money went) continue to swap their lavish houses, buy and sell their yachts and fly from club to jolly to beach to party untouched and svelte.

Remember the Poll Tax!

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'nother day, 'nother bigot

2010-09-13T05:04:00.000-07:00

I promised not to do yet another blog about the EDL but I don't think this one will offer much relief.
Saturday was the anniversary of the twin towers attack (or US/Zionist conspiracy if you prefer exciting nonsense). Anjem Choudry and the Headbangers strutted their noisy, meaningless stuff outside the US Embassy, eventually managing to burn a US flag for the kneejerk media. I'll spare you yet another photo of that crush of smoke and cameras and give you instead a corny shot of yet another mediaeval Mr Shouty.

The placard reads "Jesus will destroy the cross and follow the Quran".
Wonderful. One raving sober set of brown bigots await a dead semi-fictitious radical's conversion while 100 yards away a raving drunken set of pink bigots shout crude insults at the imaginary being the first set worship.
And next week we get yet another featherbedded nut in fancy dress and a silly hat on his Plank Man Promotion tour, spreading ignorance, prejudice and disease in the name of salvation.
It's hard to believe in human progress, sod the lot of them. Mickey Bakunin had it about right:

The idea of God implies the abdication of human reason and justice; it is the most decisive negation of human liberty, and necessarily ends in the enslavement of humankind both in theory and in practice.

I couldn't work up much enthusiasm for these vicious new puritans but here's a minimal gallery. I would have done more but I just need a bit of fresh air.

More boring EDL stuff. Sorry.

2010-09-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give us all a rest from this EDL nonsense but seeing as they put so much effort into entertaining us it seems mean not to give them one more little splash. They had the Kronenberg Choir organised and a brave attempt at their signature number "Allah is a Paedo" was only partly drowned out by the sound of passing sparrows farting.

Some of the less dedicated press started to drift off at that point so they quickly launched into a round of Scary Pointing At The Photographer.

That just left time for the glorious Flag Finale - pity they'd not had time for a rehearsal

before they sloped off back under their flat stones once more.
Ho hum. I'll do something more interesting next time, I promise.

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Jewish Defence League - Schmooish Defence League

2010-08-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

A surreal afternoon and I'll write about it later. A pro Palestinian group pickets a shop selling products from the occupied territories and the Jewish Defence League, a tiny sub group of the EDL, picket the picket.

Each side scampered around photographing each other, shouting slogans and doing the Testosterone Strut until boredom overcame commitment and we could all go off for a nice cup of tea.

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Boozers Against Burkas

2010-08-02T01:59:00.000-07:00

A sunny Saturday afternoon, a couple of hundred drink fuelled racists riding the nationalist bandwagon - "Ban the Burka", "No More Mosques", "We Want Our Country Back" as they yell, stomp and intimidate their noisy way from Westminster to, err, Westminster.

I'm always puzzled by the way this bunch make such an effort to put on an impressive show with their St George's masks, home made placards, T-shirts, big flags and banners - and then attack the photographers reporting it. Most of us were sworn at continually. Obscene, drunken spit sprayed threats competed with aggressive barging and uncoordinated grabs at our cameras. One colleague was hit on the head with a banner pole, another was punched. One clumsy drunk was so keen to push me down the steps that he nearly fell down them himself.

And then the leader of one contingent went out of his way to push aside the thugs surrounding me, praise my coverage and invite me to cover their future events. Funny bunch.

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Still No Justice, Still No Peace

2010-07-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

There was hardly anyone among the two hundred or so angry, loud protesters whose lives had not been touched by a police killing. As well as Ian Tomlinson's name the streets echoed with those of a long list who met the Met in a terminal way.

Fred Tokunpur Akiyemi, Christopher Alder, Arthur Allison, Roger Allotey, James Ashley, Peter Austin, Noorjahan Begum, Mr Benmerabet, Derek Bennett, Ricky Bishop, Ziya Bitirim, Stephen Bogle, Nicholas Bramble, Derek Buchanan, Edwin Carr, Paul Coker, Simeon Collins, Joseph Crensil, Asif Dad, David ‘Duke’ Daley, George Bosie Davies, Brian Douglas, Wayne Douglas, Marlon Downes, Lee Duvall, David Ewin, Michael Ferreira, Henry Floyd, Giles Freeman, Herbert Gabbidon, Ahmed El Gammal, Joy Gardner, Kevin Gately, Robin Goodenough, Ian Gordon, Leroy Gordon, Vincent Graham, Sponford Antonio Green, S. Singh Grewal, James Hall, Mark Harris, Tunay Hassan, Nenneh Jalloh, Cynthia Jarrett, Kebba ‘Dobe’ Jobe, Andrew Jordan, Nadeem Khan, Sultan Khan, Shiji Lapite, Franklyn Lee, Caiphas Lemard, Patrick Louis, Leon Marshall, Michael Dean Martin, Clinton McCurbin, John McDonnell, Jason Oscar McPherson, Shohik Meah, Jean Charles de Menezes, John Mikkelson, Daniel Morgan, Joseph Nnalue, Richard O’Brien, Nicholas Ofusurank Ogburu, Oscar Okoye, David Oluwale, Joseph Palombella, Mohammed Parkit, Vandana Patel, Leon Patterson, Matthew Paul, Blair Peach, Peter San Pedro, Mikey Powell, Oliver Pryce, Oakley Ramsey, Sean Rigg, Colin Roach, Azelle Rodney Winston Rose, James Ruddock, Nuur Saeed, Ibrahima Sey, Lytton Shannon, John Shorthouse, Randhir Showpal, Changa Singh, Shkander, Singh, Kwanele Siziba, Harry Stanley, Jamie Stewart, Roger Sylvester, Sarah Thomas, Fosta Errol Thompson, Ian Tomlinson, Habib ‘Paps’ Ullah, Mark Ventour, Spencer Weston, Donovan Williams, Tyrone Wilson, Kwame Sasu Wiredu and Paul Yorke.
These are just the ones we know to have died at the hands - or boots, or clubs, or guns - of the police. More have been hidden as accidents, suicides. Never a prosecution, the police enjoy their impunity, the killings continue.
No Justice, No Peace.

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Sex in the garden

2010-07-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

There's something about these long light warm evenings.

And the babies will eat the blackfly on my runner beans.

Zombie Law

2010-07-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 never had much going for it other than its use by dim plods for harassing photographers. A bastard child of Thatcherite paranoia fostered and festered in the foul innards of New Labour it spent its brief decade of life reviled and jeered at by all but the most abject self deluders.

Finally given the coupe de grace by the European Court of Human Rights it is now a dead law walking. A law declared unlawful. But in true zombie fashion it staggers on, treading freedoms won over centuries into the gutter, enforced with enthusiasm and vigour by Met Police, Home Office and kneejerk coppers across the country.

It may be dead, it may be stinking and rotten but today 60+ photographers turned up at the Mausoleum for a joyful foxtrot on its empty grave.

Even in this digital age photographers can still amass enough silver to make one final bullet to lay this shameful, abusive law in its grave for once and for all. And we will.

Energy, anger and a lot of running about

2010-06-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's genuinely inspiring to see the energy and GoForItness of the Bengalis in Tower Hamlets

but I can't help seeing thousands of angry people with no political leadership, analysis or direction as more a time bomb than an anti racist movement.

no time for nudity today

2010-06-20T04:33:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed last weekend's Naked Bike ride despite the ever growing number of sad wusses, bonded to their textile existence.

I still have 40 files to process but no time yet so here's a teaser to keep you interested until I get round to doing the rest just as soon as the world slows down a bit.

Dinner in the Land of Cockaigne

2010-06-10T02:28:00.000-07:00

Celebrated my birthday this year (a good number - 8^2, 4^3 or 2^6, 3 years since the last prime and 3 years till the next) in the Land of Cockaigne courtesy of Trolley Gallery.

Waiters and waitresses flit beneath our feet. Flying pigs, nun's bottoms, fish out of water and asparagus hoists distracted us from counting the copious glugs of wine as we excessed our way through a confection of perfection.

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Pagans, Beltane and London

2010-05-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

A splendid bunch of pagans, witches, warriors and true British eccentrics laughed and danced their way through London sunshine in celebration of spring, life, friendship and a love of sensual joy.

Things can get a bit heavy these days but occasionally it's just magic
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EDL "Patriot" march, London

2010-05-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

A few hundred confused and stroppy islamophobes knocked back a lot of beers in the sunshine before making a noisy attempt at a march through Westminster. The atmosphere became a bit testy at the end and they could be heard complaining over the price of ice cream.

Disappointing really, they'd promised thousands.

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LibDem Campaign Targets Galloway Vote

2010-05-04T03:48:00.000-07:00

World Press Freedom Day

2010-05-03T03:46:00.000-07:00

Today, Monday May 3, 2010 is World Press Freedom Day

UNESCO have called for a minutes silence in newsrooms round the world to remember the journalists who have paid with their lives for our right to know. In 2009 UNESCO condemned the deaths of 77 journalists, most of whom were reporting local stories, not war.

UNESCO calls on media workers to denounce the murder of journalists and to demand an end to impunity for their killers.

Time for a change

2010-05-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

After all the intoxicating passion of a Trade Union march from Clerkenwell to hear the necessary and exciting speeches from our selfless, dedicated Trade Union leaders the more forward thinking revolutionaries got drunk on Special Brew and headed off to Parliament Square for a spot of executing.

Cameron and Clegg anticipated the new parliament by being tidily hanged by the People's Executioner. Nazi Nick Griffin was torn to pieces by the celebratory crowd and then we all settled down to enjoy Gordon Brown's beheading.
Heavy rain washed away the blood and confetti and so we all went home for a nice mug of cocoa.

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Police report reveals Blair Peach killer

2010-04-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

"Commander Cass's biased and prejudiced report on the killing of Blair Peach was released by the Met Police today. Cass justifies the killing by describing Blair as part of "a rebellious crowd".

Celia Stubbs, Blair Peach's partner stands outside New Scotland Yard today. She still awaits a reply to her request to meet the commissioner.

The six officers with the SPG (the forerunners of today's brutal and equally notorious TSG) are known to be Insp Murray, PC White, PC Richardson, PC Scottow, PC Freestone and PS Lake. Although the published version has been censored by the Met to obscure the truth it seems impossible to avoid the conclusion that Blair Peach was killed by a blow from Inspector Murray's police radio.

More than 30 years on no officer has been charged with the killing or with the many offences committed in the course of the cover up. No justice, no peace.

Plod for Public Services and Pensions

2010-04-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

Bit of an unenthusiastic demo today over welfare, public services and pensions. In the pre election limbo it felt a bit unfocused but it was a nice sunny day and the police kept away.

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International Pillow Fight Day, London

2010-04-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

I love pillow fights, sort of 'riot lite'. A really good workout this afternoon outside St Paul's. Was great to bemuse the tourists and cheered me up after the depressing memorial for poor Ian Tomlinson on Thursday.

All I was wearing is in the wash, I'm still coughing up feathers and now I need to hoover my cameras. Then a large drink and very belated lunch.

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Blair Peach 1979. Ian Tomlinson 2009. No Justice, No Peace.

2010-04-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

In 1979 they called them SPG. They got such a bad name for violence, arrogance and untouchability that they changed the name to TSG. They changed nothing else. Thirty years on we still see the same failure to control police violence as the massive cop who batoned Nicola Fisher walks exonerated from court. Back in '79 the cops who killed Blair weren't even charged.

And thirty one years on, the policed still cry for justice. Here Julia Tomlinson, Ian Tomlinson's widow, weeps as she lays flowers with other family members at the spot where Ian died after being attacked by TSG officers.

And after getting on for forty years in this job I'm still walking home with the voices of the bereaved echoing in my ears. "No justice, no peace. No justice, no peace."

Poll Tax Riots 1990

2010-03-31T16:05:00.000-07:00

I can't let the anniversary of the Poll Tax uprising pass without some pics.

This was one of the best days I’ve ever spent taking pictures. I was watching in the square as the cops lost it early on. Just before this shot I’d been trying to shelter with three cops behind a pole. They were more scared than I was and the pole wasn’t entirely adequate as protection. Flattened a couple of times by testerical coppers I was nonetheless motoring well when Grand Buildings was torched by the anarchists, the flames adding to the festive atmosphere.

The Poll Tax had been a festering sore for what felt like an age and after earlier demos had been crushed by police action this one had really kicked off. I found it quite hard work. Before I even reached Trafalgar Square I’d had a shield driven edge on into my throat by a cop from the Downing Street cordon who ran across Whitehall at me for the privilege.

The air was crackling with energy. Random truncheonings, police vans driven into the crowd and charges by riot plod in their oversized babygrows had redoubled people's determination to force some democracy down Thatcher's throat. The air was rich with the smell of freedom and liberation. Laurence & Nij were smouldering with passion and swept away with the excitement of the day.

Laurence is three months pregnant here, later Nij was arrested but this photograph was used in his successful defence. Some months afterwards Nij overdosed and died but Laurence has a beautiful daughter.

By the end of the day the hair on one side of my head had been burnt off by an exploding motor bike, my knee mashed by a scaff clamp hurled from the top of the burning offices and had been tumbled a dozen times by cops, horses, rioters and vans. I’d never been happier.

St Peter calls for Pope to resign

2010-03-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Showing how seriously the Catholic Church takes its responsibility to the thousands of children abused by its priests Pope Benedict XVI defiantly maintained the abuse revelations were 'part of a conspiracy' against the Church.

So much for any hope of a thorough investigation and a change in church attitudes then.

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Kids to go?

2010-03-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

Excellent policy

and a decent banana split too

The Fish House

www.fishouse.co.uk

126 Lauriston Road
London E9 7LH

Cops undermine, distort and suppress protest

2010-03-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

Cops penetrating genuine protest movements raise the level of violence to discredit the cause and then use that to prevent the group from effectively raising debate on the issues.
A powerful, unaccountable and secret anti democratic force at work.

Observer article
I'm going to have to check my other photos to see if I can spot any of the buggers.

EDL. Not racist. No, just Islamophobic and violent.

2010-03-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

Their leaflets say "EDL is not racist in any way. shape or form." And they chant their sickening, anti Islamic, anti Asian songs and slogans in the places where they will be the most provocative.

It takes a lot to make Westminster a fouler place than normal. This lot manage it easily.

If you scrape the scum off the BNP it will look a lot like this.

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EDL can't sing

2010-03-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

Lovely day and an enthusiastic crowd of serious drinkers chanting their way from the Tate to Parliament. Bottled up by police on the far side of the road with the anti racists bottled up opposite the two factions fought a hard and bloody battle of slogans, chants and taunts.

They're always so pleased to see me.

Gallery later, blood alcohol level getting low.

The Pope, the Sisters and 300 cross gays

2010-02-14T11:45:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day at Westminster Cathedral. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence joined the Humanists, a few hundred outraged gays and three very confused religious nuts to chants of "KEEP YOUR ROSARIES OFF OUR OVARIES" on a march to the Italian Embassy.

Sweet Sister Angel Popstitute gave me a Valentine gift of Fox's Glacier mints, 2 condomi and a generous pack of lube so I'm showing a profit on the day for once.

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Protest Against Iranian Regime

2010-02-12T07:59:00.000-08:00

31 years after the US and UK backed Shah of Iran's corrupt and oppressive government was overthrown there are growing protests against the corrupt and oppressive Islamic State that has replaced it. That's revolution for you.

How much these protests reflect a real desire for change and how much they reflect the huge sums that the UK and the US are pumping into Iranian opposition movements to destabilise the regime is anyone's guess.

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Bloody Blair!

2010-01-29T08:06:00.000-08:00

A small but angry crowd turned up early on this cold January morning to express their feelings as Tony Blair slunk in through the back door for his appearance at the Chilcot Enquiry.

The soft and rambling questioning saw Blair's initial nervousness turn to confidence as he realised that the whole point of the show was to let this slippery war criminal off the hook.

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I'm A Photographer Not A Terrorist

2010-01-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

What a splendid day! There were THOUSANDS of us!

And the stroppy security guards just made great pics.

It's been a long campaign, but over the last couple of years we've made real progress. S44 is being reined in and even the cops are beginning to notice that photographers really aren't terrorists.

A totally uplifting day, even if I did get busted by the Vigilance Committee.

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And it didn't rain!

Mass Photo Gathering

2010-01-22T04:45:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow.

Don't miss it!

Wassailing

2010-01-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

Wassailing in Springfield Park, Hackney. A sunny day in mid winter with cakes and much mulled cider.

A pre-Christian traditional ceremony held on the old 12th night of 17 January and stemming from an Anglo-Saxon pagan ritual of visiting your apple trees and leaving them libations of cider and cider soaked toast to encourage their fertility next year.

The trees only got a mug each but we polished off gallons afterwards. Off for a little lie down now.

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International No Pants Subway Ride

2010-01-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a "No Trousers Tube Journey" here, but it's going off today in New York, Chicago, Washington, Seattle, Stockholm, Barcelona, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and heaven knows where else.

Started in 2002 with 7 people there were more than 3,000 last year in New York alone.
We chose the Piccadilly Line this year for its stylish upholstery and cool decor.

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compulsory snow pic 2

2010-01-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

compulsory snow pic 1

2010-01-07T12:23:00.001-08:00

Someone to watch over me

2009-12-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-13T01:36:00.000-08:00

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

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

Searchlight
support subscribe

documenting racism
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Cotall St Squatters evicted

2009-12-12T07:06:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-30T01:12:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-28T06:55:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-26T09:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T10:50:00.000-08:00

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

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A rainy morning with radical Jewish ghosts

2009-11-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-10-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

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

mistaken identity

2009-10-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

"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.

gallery here

carrots is all

2009-10-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

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

Tulip Stairs, Queens House, Greenwich

2009-10-01T04:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

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

gallery here

Need Sunshine!

2009-09-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

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

BNP Richard (Confused) Barnbrook found guilty at tribunal.

2009-09-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

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).

gallery here

English Defence League - BNP Stalking Horse?

2009-09-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

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.

EDL gallery here

I'm A Photographer, Not A Terrorist

2009-09-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

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.

Gallery here:

You say "Banker"

2009-08-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

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.

gallery here

Lullaby of Birdland

2009-08-16T05:17:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-07-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

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

website

Sex in the Street

2009-07-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

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

gallery
slide show

Still scraping the swill off my cameras

2009-07-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

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

gallery
slideshow

Lucky with light

2009-07-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

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.

website

Never too old to pull

2009-07-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

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.

Gallery here

Climate Rush

2009-07-02T09:13:00.001-07:00

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.