Reflections on yesterday's protests in #London.

Reflections on yesterday's protests in #London. 1/n

Background info:

I like photographing protests. It's a hobby and I have been doing it for over 10 years. Mainly in Bristol and London. My politics are left, but I try to suppress my bias when behind the lens - not always an easy thing to do.

I went to London specifically to photograph the protests. I arrived at about 10am and left at about 6. I spent most of my time amongst ‘Tommy' supporters - unusual for me as generally I walk amongst the ‘left’. Westminster Bridge, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, The Strand, and Northumberland Avenue was my patch for the day - apart from when the rain came and I spent a nice half hour browsing in Waterstones.

The following reflections are my random thoughts about the day based on what I saw, my own personal bias, and what I have seen at recent protests.

2/n

Everyone thinks Kier Starmer is a wanker. Left and right are absolutely aligned on this. Probably for very different reasons, but Labour have a serious leadership problem that they need to acknowledge and address. It will lose them the next election.

#TommyRobinson #London #Protest

3/n

There was a surprising (to me) emphasis on Christianity in the Unite the Kingdom rally. I am aware there is likely to be US money involved here, but I was a little taken aback at the amount of wooden crucifix being carried along, flags proclaiming the word of christ, chants and slogans about England being a christian country.

It's hard to know if these are strongly held beliefs, or that there were just enough believers in the crowd to make it look pervasive. Still, it was a far cry from ‘christian for christmas' that I usually associate with England.

At one point a lad got up on one of the stone lions adorning Westminster bridge and was given a huge cheer when he held aloft a crucifix in one hand and an England flag in the other.

#London #Protest

4/n

The Unite the Kingdom rally felt professional. Remember the anti-Brexit protests where there were big screens down Whitehall, a stage, camera crews, sound engineers, people who know how to host an event? Now picture exactly the same set-up but for yesterday. It must have cost quite a bit - I don't know how much it costs to rent a big TV screen mounted on a crane but I am guessing it's not cheap.

Walking further along Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square there was another smaller stage with a few speakers stacked on top of each other. This was the ‘left’s' patch and it looked like something you would find at a village fete.

#London #Protest

5/n

Prior to the speeches the mood amongst the 'right' was relatively jovial. I struggle to describe it without resorting to using stereotypes, but something akin to the following might paint a picture:

- Football supporters before a big game
- Lads night out / stag night in a big city between 3pm and 7pm (had some beers, not drunk yet)
- Benidorm in the height of summer

As for the chants:

- Eng-ger-lund, Eng-ger-lund, Eng-ger-lund
- Oh Tommy Tommy, Tommy Tommy Tommy Tommy Robinson
- Kier is a wanker, Kier is a wanker, na na na na
- Stop the boats (although not chanted as much as I was expecting).

There was also echos of the ‘left's chants such as “Whose streets, our streets" although this was the exception not the norm.

The chants are non-committal. With the exception of stopping the boats, they don't commit to any particular demand.

#London #Protest

6/n

There were a lot of “normal" people on the ‘right’. Yes there were groups of lads, groups of people looking a little too serious, groups of people wearing lots of baker-boy caps, and groups shouting about ‘Our Tommy’.

But there were also children, families, and “normal" people you might see on any protest. This shouldn’t be underestimated. There is a message here that is appealing to many who might not ordinarily come out and protest.

I think they are dissatisfied after over a decade of Tory austerity and an underwhelming Brexit. Dissatisfied that they still feel worse off under Labour. Dissatisfied that they can't get a GP appointment, or a place for their child in the school they want. Dissatisfied and with little hope for the future. Then along comes Reform with a message of hope, and all that needs to be done is to stop the boats.

#London #Protest

7/n

Policing was a shit show. I feel for the officers on the ground because there simply were not enough of them to keep the left and right apart. The following is what I saw in the afternoon while walking around The Strand, Trafalgar Square (and that end of Whitehall), and Northumberland Avenue.

I was standing at the top of Whitehall. Small family/friend groups of flag clad people were making their way to the 'right' rally, having missed the start of their march earlier in the day.

The 'left’ was marching down The Strand towards Whitehall, with the vanguard of the protest arriving at their stage and started giving speeches.

A gap in the 'left' formed at the top of Whitehall and suddenly the ‘right' were there at the top of Northumberland Avenue and outside Charing Cross. Both sides shouting at each other. A razor thin police line formed to keep the two sides apart.

The ‘right' grew in number at the top of Northumberland Ave with police vans used as barricades. The remainder of the ‘left' filed into Whitehall, while people clad in flags shouted at them from either side (with the left shouting back I might add).

A group of Antifa stood around the statue of Charles I and were quickly cut off from the 'left’ in Whitehall.

By this point the crowds were as follows:

- ‘Right' at the top of Northumberland Ave, blocked by police.
- ‘Right' in Trafalgar Square
- ‘Left' in Whitehall
- Antifa around Charles I
- ' Right' down the bottom of Whitehall

#London #Protest

8/n

I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but a large and shouty group of ‘right' managed to get into the top of Whitehall, blocking the ‘left’ from being able to leave.

Police lines formed and tried to keep everyone apart. Horse moved in and the odd scuffle broke out. Bottles were thrown. I also saw two fireworks thrown into the crowd.

My observations about the policing:

- There were not enough police on the ground to set up effective police lines with zones of separation. The lines were razor thin and made it impossible for the police to push either side away from each other.

- It could have been much more violent had people not had a certain amount of self restraint. The police wouldn't have been able to stop it.

- The police completely failed to keep the protests away from each other.

- When lines did form, they often separated people who belonged to the same group.

#London #Protest

9/n

This is what the 'right's march towards Westminster looked like. I think that's Katie Hopkins that I managed to take a photo of isn't it?

#London #Protest

10/n

I managed to get a bit closer, even with a security contingent keeping everyone back, and made a photo of the man himself.

Unless you were in this crowd, it is hard to describe how much they love ‘Our Tommy'. He is their saviour. They are following him, and he can do no wrong.

What I did notice was that his head was bowed down for the brief time I was able to follow this part of the march. It wasn't just to check his phone... this was over an extended period.

#London #Protest

10/n

I managed to get a bit closer, even with a security contingent keeping everyone back, and made a photo of the man himself.

Unless you were in this crowd, it is hard to describe how much they love ‘Our Tommy'. He is their saviour. They are following him, and he can do no wrong.

What I did notice was that his head was bowed down for the brief time I was able to follow this part of the march. It wasn't just to check his phone... this was over an extended period.

#London #Protest

11/n

I love the Welsh word for 'police’

Heddlu!

Well heddlu to you too!

#London #Protest

12/n

It wasn't all flags and chants...

#London #Protest

13/n

Side note and general muzzings:

I think the ‘right' have an easy message on the streets, which to me is summed up as, “your life is a bit shit, it has been a bit shit for over a decade, there is little hope for it getting better, all these others are the problem, join us and your life will be better.”

Whereas the ‘left' has a harder message on the streets, which to me is summed up as, “you need to care about all these causes, some of which are in countries far away, and there is no easy solution, and these streets... the ones you are standing on and that your parents stood on, and their parents… they belong to us... a group of people who you already struggle to relate to”.

#London #Protest

14/n

I don't normally censor faces in my photography, but I am also aware that Antifa specifically do not consent to being photographed and I felt that this was an interesting enough photo to post.

#London #Protest

15/n

Many tourists were caught up in the protests, hiding in shops and doorways as the events ebbed and flowed around them. This is the heart of our capital city, and for many it was shocking and scary.

#London #Protest

@dan I feel really sorry for anyone (and particularly anyone who looked like someone the protesters might potentially target) who had to work in those shops along side the march yesterday, it must have been terrifying