![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fridgepunk
Found an interesting little flickr photostream that has a few neat pictures in it:
I just plain like the composition of this one, the gothic bodied hoodie collosus astride a police van as smoke pours up and enshrouds Westminster Abbey. Wonderful.
Note hijabis at the side joining in the protection of the police van. And yes, these are the kids (probably all class mates) who protected that police van from being further vanadlised, however to further add to this image let me repeat what commenter Guy Glover notes that puts this image into its proper context:
So yeah, this van is largely being attacked because the police have interfered with these students' right to protest by "kettling" them – forcing them into little isolated areas and stopping them from being able to go anywhere else - and the protesters are taking out their frustration at both not being allowed to protest and at not being allowed to even leave (and london is not warm this time of year people) on the big symbol of policeness that they've been crammed in with, and yes the students are trying to protect the van anyway because these children know that it's not in their best interest to attack it, because they know how the media works.
This is the youth of britain Clameron, they are smarter than you and more tenatious and braver than you will ever be. and they are after you now. FEAR. THEM.
...Well okay, after you AND brown, but mostly you. FEAR. THEM.
Another hijabi and her mates on a bus stop, note that again, this'll be in a kettle, so rather than these students climbing ontop of bustops and vandalising them because they're out of control and riotous, but again out of frustration and having the choice between attacking the police directly or attacking bits of the surroundings. In this case the protesters have just climbed ontop of the bus stops to get a better vantage point from which to see what's going on while they wait for the police to take their pictures.
COMPENSATING FOR SOMETHING ARE WE HMM? Love the two METpiggies at the front with their riot gear face shield up, and the one at the back with it down. "I iz srs riotpolice with srs riothelmet"
"Srs camera iz srs" Note that it's a big fucking camera, with another video camera attached to it. > _ < Only a MET policephotographer could try to pull off more dakka with cameras, the pillocks.
The commenters for this one note that the big 1920s flashbulb-looking thing is probably a heat light for the video camera.
And no, I don't know what a heat light is either, but I do know that it must make surreptitiously taking photographs of people armed with eggs less easy. Though it probably smells delicious. Mmm... eggs and bacon...
You know what: I Love this country today. Genuinely Love it in a way that I doubt the nationalists like Moon or Clameron or Merkel would ever grasp, for their country is a jealous country, that must be worshipped but never truly loved; because it's a thing above the people and not a thing of the people, and thus those mere weak and fragile person must fear it and placate and make excuses for it during its abusive episodes.
And I will always and especially love My City for its variety, and all the honesty and beauty that that variety instils in it. I miss you so much London, you evil fucking bitch. Keep doing that thing you do so well.
I just plain like the composition of this one, the gothic bodied hoodie collosus astride a police van as smoke pours up and enshrouds Westminster Abbey. Wonderful.
Note hijabis at the side joining in the protection of the police van. And yes, these are the kids (probably all class mates) who protected that police van from being further vanadlised, however to further add to this image let me repeat what commenter Guy Glover notes that puts this image into its proper context:
It is worth pointing out that this is inside the first kettle. The kids, and everyone else, had been there for a couple of hours at this time and were not let out until very late in the dark and cold night, maybe 8 hours later. I hope they dress warmer next time.
I don’t agree with the objectives of the protest but the policing decision to stop it following the agreed route, to kettle everyone until very late and then to photograph and take details of everyone before letting them go (they have no power to do this) were all completely wrong.
Having a right to peaceful protest and to free expression without intimidation are fundamental to any effective democracy. It was denied to thousands today. It should be the role of the police to defend these rights for the peaceful protesters and to deal with the tiny number of violent spoilers.
Instead the police will use the initial trivial vandalism as an excuse for the kettling of the peaceful majority that they knew would inevitably lead to far greater damage.
So yeah, this van is largely being attacked because the police have interfered with these students' right to protest by "kettling" them – forcing them into little isolated areas and stopping them from being able to go anywhere else - and the protesters are taking out their frustration at both not being allowed to protest and at not being allowed to even leave (and london is not warm this time of year people) on the big symbol of policeness that they've been crammed in with, and yes the students are trying to protect the van anyway because these children know that it's not in their best interest to attack it, because they know how the media works.
This is the youth of britain Clameron, they are smarter than you and more tenatious and braver than you will ever be. and they are after you now. FEAR. THEM.
...Well okay, after you AND brown, but mostly you. FEAR. THEM.
Another hijabi and her mates on a bus stop, note that again, this'll be in a kettle, so rather than these students climbing ontop of bustops and vandalising them because they're out of control and riotous, but again out of frustration and having the choice between attacking the police directly or attacking bits of the surroundings. In this case the protesters have just climbed ontop of the bus stops to get a better vantage point from which to see what's going on while they wait for the police to take their pictures.
COMPENSATING FOR SOMETHING ARE WE HMM? Love the two METpiggies at the front with their riot gear face shield up, and the one at the back with it down. "I iz srs riotpolice with srs riothelmet"
"Srs camera iz srs" Note that it's a big fucking camera, with another video camera attached to it. > _ < Only a MET policephotographer could try to pull off more dakka with cameras, the pillocks.
The commenters for this one note that the big 1920s flashbulb-looking thing is probably a heat light for the video camera.
And no, I don't know what a heat light is either, but I do know that it must make surreptitiously taking photographs of people armed with eggs less easy. Though it probably smells delicious. Mmm... eggs and bacon...
You know what: I Love this country today. Genuinely Love it in a way that I doubt the nationalists like Moon or Clameron or Merkel would ever grasp, for their country is a jealous country, that must be worshipped but never truly loved; because it's a thing above the people and not a thing of the people, and thus those mere weak and fragile person must fear it and placate and make excuses for it during its abusive episodes.
And I will always and especially love My City for its variety, and all the honesty and beauty that that variety instils in it. I miss you so much London, you evil fucking bitch. Keep doing that thing you do so well.
