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Trafalgar Square |
Here's the first
set of pics that I've put on my homepage taken using my new camera, an
old Russian Zenit - 'E' manual SLR (look out for some earlier snaps I've
taken with it in future updates) bereft of the fancy bits my compact Olympus
has, but far more rewarding to use, as I has to think more about how I
compose/take the photos, as opposed to just pointing and pressing as I've
done in the past.
I'd not been able to attend the previous anti-war rally
the month before as I was at work that day, but I was definitely going
to get along to this one. I'd wanted to go on the march starting from Hyde
Park, but as one of my brothers had to accompany an uncle of ours to Gatwick
Airport to catch his flight back to St.Lucia that morning, I didn't get
to Trafalgar Square until about 2.30 p.m., where a huge crowd had already
gathered (and loads more people were still marching from Hyde Park).
These three pics were taken at a spot laid out for muslims to pray during
the day as the festival of Ramadam had only just started. Given the numerous
articles and t.v./radio programmes dedicated to the attitudes that British
muslims had towards the war, there were a plethora of cameras pointing
towards them as they stood and silently faced eastwards towards Mecca.
I got my snaps and went towards the main crowd.
There were loads of banners and placards on display in the 'Square, and this one caught my eye. Can you tell who the state-sponsored terrorist is?
Here a couple pics
of the veteran Labour left-winger Tony
Benn (someone who's been to more rallies than even he'd could possibly
hope to have counted), who'd stood down as an Member of Parliament at the
2001 General Election after nearly half a century "to get more involved
in politics again" (comments received with knowing laughter from the majority
of the crowd assembled) - a telling indictment of how big business, aided
and abetted by unaccountable spin doctors have rendered elected goverment
largely irrelevant in the all too important decisions affecting ordinary
people's everyday lives.
Like most of the speakers on the platform, he spoke of how the war was
largely a smokescreen for protecting and enforcing the ecomomic interests
of the West, as well as how the spot that we were all standing in was named
after a decisive battle that was waged to further Britain's empire-building
aspirations. While he was speaking, I noticed the banners that flanked
him with the slogan "Not In My Name".
Here's Bianca Jagger, in her less publicised role of an environmental campaigner, speaking out on the injustices and atrocities being carried out. Just ahead of her, I caught sight of a placeard summing up the real reason for the so-called "war on terror".
