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Protest and demonstration against economic inequality
© All rights reserved iDJ Photography 2012 idjphotography.com
Around two hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), WinVisible and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 28.01.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget, which is the Cameron government's only solution to the economic shockwaves caused by the banking crisis of 2008.
Congregating first in Holborn Circus by organizers, the activists (many of whom were in wheelchairs, had guide dogs, or were accompanied by their Carers and Buddies), who had earlier been instructed to arrive with a valid Oyster travel card - were entertained by a samba drum troupe. Suddenly the signal was ,given, and everyone (except the wheelchair-users, who had to find other transport because of the woefully abysmal provision for the disabled on 90% of the Victorian rail system) entered Holborn Underground Station en-masse to reappear at their top-secret destination two short stops away - the large, busy junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street, where they proceeded to spill onto the new Tokyo-style pedestrian crossing before completely blocking all traffic from the North by chaining their wheelchairs together across the road, anchored at each end to the wrought-iron railings at the entrances to the Underground station.
Police looked on, almost powerless to act without being seen to physically manhandle many severely disabled people, and it's very doubtful if they have provision to load electric wheelchairs into police carriers and hold them in custody suites without a huge public relations disaster, so instead they sensibly adopted a pastoral role, doing what they could to keep the peaceful-but-very-vocal protesters safe for the three hours their act of civil disobedience lasted, after which they all calmly dissapated, vanishing back into the underground system and home for a well-earned rest after a triumphant protest.
This is the first time that Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have had any significant support on one of their direct actions, and being joined by the extremely effective corporate tax-avoidance protesters from UK Uncut was a fantastic morale boost for the battle-hardened disabled activists. For well over a year DPAC has been fighting back against David Cameron's swingeing "austerity" cuts to the welfare budget, especially to provision for the disabled, which are only hurting the most vulnerable in our society. It seems as if the message is finally getting through to other single-issue protest groups that everything is related to everything else. Taking Disability Living Allowance from half a million disabled people, making them homeless and destitue with their considerable physical and/or mental health complications may save the Department of Work and Pensions' annual budget, but the burden of caring for all these people will now fall to local councils, already chronically stretched by huge government cuts to their budgets - and it is widely understood by everyone that it is much, much cheaper to keep a disabled person living independently with State help than it is to reinstate the Victorian Institutions and Hospitals, which past campaigners fought so hard for so long to abolish because of the inherent cruelty in institutionalising the disabled who previously had independent lives and employment but can no longer get to work because the Conservative government has taken away their mobility allowances...
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
Around two hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), WinVisible and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 28.01.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget, which is the Cameron government's only solution to the economic shockwaves caused by the banking crisis of 2008.
Congregating first in Holborn Circus by organizers, the activists (many of whom were in wheelchairs, had guide dogs, or were accompanied by their Carers and Buddies), who had earlier been instructed to arrive with a valid Oyster travel card - were entertained by a samba drum troupe. Suddenly the signal was ,given, and everyone (except the wheelchair-users, who had to find other transport because of the woefully abysmal provision for the disabled on 90% of the Victorian rail system) entered Holborn Underground Station en-masse to reappear at their top-secret destination two short stops away - the large, busy junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street, where they proceeded to spill onto the new Tokyo-style pedestrian crossing before completely blocking all traffic from the North by chaining their wheelchairs together across the road, anchored at each end to the wrought-iron railings at the entrances to the Underground station.
Police looked on, almost powerless to act without being seen to physically manhandle many severely disabled people, and it's very doubtful if they have provision to load electric wheelchairs into police carriers and hold them in custody suites without a huge public relations disaster, so instead they sensibly adopted a pastoral role, doing what they could to keep the peaceful-but-very-vocal protesters safe for the three hours their act of civil disobedience lasted, after which they all calmly dissapated, vanishing back into the underground system and home for a well-earned rest after a triumphant protest.
This is the first time that Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have had any significant support on one of their direct actions, and being joined by the extremely effective corporate tax-avoidance protesters from UK Uncut was a fantastic morale boost for the battle-hardened disabled activists. For well over a year DPAC has been fighting back against David Cameron's swingeing "austerity" cuts to the welfare budget, especially to provision for the disabled, which are only hurting the most vulnerable in our society. It seems as if the message is finally getting through to other single-issue protest groups that everything is related to everything else. Taking Disability Living Allowance from half a million disabled people, making them homeless and destitue with their considerable physical and/or mental health complications may save the Department of Work and Pensions' annual budget, but the burden of caring for all these people will now fall to local councils, already chronically stretched by huge government cuts to their budgets - and it is widely understood by everyone that it is much, much cheaper to keep a disabled person living independently with State help than it is to reinstate the Victorian Institutions and Hospitals, which past campaigners fought so hard for so long to abolish because of the inherent cruelty in institutionalising the disabled who previously had independent lives and employment but can no longer get to work because the Conservative government has taken away their mobility allowances...
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
Around two hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), WinVisible and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 28.01.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget, which is the Cameron government's only solution to the economic shockwaves caused by the banking crisis of 2008.
Congregating first in Holborn Circus by organizers, the activists (many of whom were in wheelchairs, had guide dogs, or were accompanied by their Carers and Buddies), who had earlier been instructed to arrive with a valid Oyster travel card - were entertained by a samba drum troupe. Suddenly the signal was ,given, and everyone (except the wheelchair-users, who had to find other transport because of the woefully abysmal provision for the disabled on 90% of the Victorian rail system) entered Holborn Underground Station en-masse to reappear at their top-secret destination two short stops away - the large, busy junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street, where they proceeded to spill onto the new Tokyo-style pedestrian crossing before completely blocking all traffic from the North by chaining their wheelchairs together across the road, anchored at each end to the wrought-iron railings at the entrances to the Underground station.
Police looked on, almost powerless to act without being seen to physically manhandle many severely disabled people, and it's very doubtful if they have provision to load electric wheelchairs into police carriers and hold them in custody suites without a huge public relations disaster, so instead they sensibly adopted a pastoral role, doing what they could to keep the peaceful-but-very-vocal protesters safe for the three hours their act of civil disobedience lasted, after which they all calmly dissapated, vanishing back into the underground system and home for a well-earned rest after a triumphant protest.
This is the first time that Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have had any significant support on one of their direct actions, and being joined by the extremely effective corporate tax-avoidance protesters from UK Uncut was a fantastic morale boost for the battle-hardened disabled activists. For well over a year DPAC has been fighting back against David Cameron's swingeing "austerity" cuts to the welfare budget, especially to provision for the disabled, which are only hurting the most vulnerable in our society. It seems as if the message is finally getting through to other single-issue protest groups that everything is related to everything else. Taking Disability Living Allowance from half a million disabled people, making them homeless and destitue with their considerable physical and/or mental health complications may save the Department of Work and Pensions' annual budget, but the burden of caring for all these people will now fall to local councils, already chronically stretched by huge government cuts to their budgets - and it is widely understood by everyone that it is much, much cheaper to keep a disabled person living independently with State help than it is to reinstate the Victorian Institutions and Hospitals, which past campaigners fought so hard for so long to abolish because of the inherent cruelty in institutionalising the disabled who previously had independent lives and employment but can no longer get to work because the Conservative government has taken away their mobility allowances...
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
On-duty police officers applaud their off-duty counterparts as they march past Downing Street in protest against government spending cuts, which they say will affect their pensions.
Around two hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), WinVisible and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 28.01.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget, which is the Cameron government's only solution to the economic shockwaves caused by the banking crisis of 2008.
Congregating first in Holborn Circus by organizers, the activists (many of whom were in wheelchairs, had guide dogs, or were accompanied by their Carers and Buddies), who had earlier been instructed to arrive with a valid Oyster travel card - were entertained by a samba drum troupe. Suddenly the signal was ,given, and everyone (except the wheelchair-users, who had to find other transport because of the woefully abysmal provision for the disabled on 90% of the Victorian rail system) entered Holborn Underground Station en-masse to reappear at their top-secret destination two short stops away - the large, busy junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street, where they proceeded to spill onto the new Tokyo-style pedestrian crossing before completely blocking all traffic from the North by chaining their wheelchairs together across the road, anchored at each end to the wrought-iron railings at the entrances to the Underground station.
Police looked on, almost powerless to act without being seen to physically manhandle many severely disabled people, and it's very doubtful if they have provision to load electric wheelchairs into police carriers and hold them in custody suites without a huge public relations disaster, so instead they sensibly adopted a pastoral role, doing what they could to keep the peaceful-but-very-vocal protesters safe for the three hours their act of civil disobedience lasted, after which they all calmly dissapated, vanishing back into the underground system and home for a well-earned rest after a triumphant protest.
This is the first time that Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have had any significant support on one of their direct actions, and being joined by the extremely effective corporate tax-avoidance protesters from UK Uncut was a fantastic morale boost for the battle-hardened disabled activists. For well over a year DPAC has been fighting back against David Cameron's swingeing "austerity" cuts to the welfare budget, especially to provision for the disabled, which are only hurting the most vulnerable in our society. It seems as if the message is finally getting through to other single-issue protest groups that everything is related to everything else. Taking Disability Living Allowance from half a million disabled people, making them homeless and destitue with their considerable physical and/or mental health complications may save the Department of Work and Pensions' annual budget, but the burden of caring for all these people will now fall to local councils, already chronically stretched by huge government cuts to their budgets - and it is widely understood by everyone that it is much, much cheaper to keep a disabled person living independently with State help than it is to reinstate the Victorian Institutions and Hospitals, which past campaigners fought so hard for so long to abolish because of the inherent cruelty in institutionalising the disabled who previously had independent lives and employment but can no longer get to work because the Conservative government has taken away their mobility allowances...
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
Around two hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), WinVisible and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 28.01.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget, which is the Cameron government's only solution to the economic shockwaves caused by the banking crisis of 2008.
Congregating first in Holborn Circus by organizers, the activists (many of whom were in wheelchairs, had guide dogs, or were accompanied by their Carers and Buddies), who had earlier been instructed to arrive with a valid Oyster travel card - were entertained by a samba drum troupe. Suddenly the signal was ,given, and everyone (except the wheelchair-users, who had to find other transport because of the woefully abysmal provision for the disabled on 90% of the Victorian rail system) entered Holborn Underground Station en-masse to reappear at their top-secret destination two short stops away - the large, busy junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street, where they proceeded to spill onto the new Tokyo-style pedestrian crossing before completely blocking all traffic from the North by chaining their wheelchairs together across the road, anchored at each end to the wrought-iron railings at the entrances to the Underground station.
Police looked on, almost powerless to act without being seen to physically manhandle many severely disabled people, and it's very doubtful if they have provision to load electric wheelchairs into police carriers and hold them in custody suites without a huge public relations disaster, so instead they sensibly adopted a pastoral role, doing what they could to keep the peaceful-but-very-vocal protesters safe for the three hours their act of civil disobedience lasted, after which they all calmly dissapated, vanishing back into the underground system and home for a well-earned rest after a triumphant protest.
This is the first time that Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have had any significant support on one of their direct actions, and being joined by the extremely effective corporate tax-avoidance protesters from UK Uncut was a fantastic morale boost for the battle-hardened disabled activists. For well over a year DPAC has been fighting back against David Cameron's swingeing "austerity" cuts to the welfare budget, especially to provision for the disabled, which are only hurting the most vulnerable in our society. It seems as if the message is finally getting through to other single-issue protest groups that everything is related to everything else. Taking Disability Living Allowance from half a million disabled people, making them homeless and destitue with their considerable physical and/or mental health complications may save the Department of Work and Pensions' annual budget, but the burden of caring for all these people will now fall to local councils, already chronically stretched by huge government cuts to their budgets - and it is widely understood by everyone that it is much, much cheaper to keep a disabled person living independently with State help than it is to reinstate the Victorian Institutions and Hospitals, which past campaigners fought so hard for so long to abolish because of the inherent cruelty in institutionalising the disabled who previously had independent lives and employment but can no longer get to work because the Conservative government has taken away their mobility allowances...
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) & UK Uncut blockade Trafalgar Square - London, 18.04..2012
On 18th April 2012, around a hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), Right to Work Campaign and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 18.04.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget.
Congregating at Leicester Square, the activists marched down Charing Cross Road - stopping twice mid-way to bring traffic to a halt - and proceeded to Trafalgar Square where there was already an advanced party of activists armed with heavy chains and padlocks waiting for them, where they proceeded to completely block off two roads by chaining their wheelchairs to lampposts and railings on either side of the road.
Frustrated police eventually brought chain-cutters, but the protesters refuses to move from their positions, and at that point, beyond begging them to move, the police had to stand by and wait until the protesters decided - two hours later - to move. The protest caused massive traffic jams in Central London, causing much irate frustration amongst many drivers (as was to be expected), but generally there was a very supportive mood from the public when the reason for the protest was explained to them.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
Media buyers should email me directly.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
London Stock Exchange |
St. Paul's Cathedral Church Yard, London, UK
| Citizen Media | 'Global Revolution' | Live Stream of International Protests by journalists and citizen journalists on the ground www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
London Stock Exchange |
St. Paul's Cathedral Church Yard, London, UK
| Citizen Media | 'Global Revolution' | Live Stream of International Protests by journalists and citizen journalists on the ground www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
London Stock Exchange |
St. Paul's Cathedral Church Yard, London, UK
| Citizen Media | 'Global Revolution' | Live Stream of International Protests by journalists and citizen journalists on the ground www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) & UK Uncut blockade Trafalgar Square - London, 18.04..2012
On 18th April 2012, around a hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), Right to Work Campaign and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 18.04.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget.
Congregating at Leicester Square, the activists marched down Charing Cross Road - stopping twice mid-way to bring traffic to a halt - and proceeded to Trafalgar Square where there was already an advanced party of activists armed with heavy chains and padlocks waiting for them, where they proceeded to completely block off two roads by chaining their wheelchairs to lampposts and railings on either side of the road.
Frustrated police eventually brought chain-cutters, but the protesters refuses to move from their positions, and at that point, beyond begging them to move, the police had to stand by and wait until the protesters decided - two hours later - to move. The protest caused massive traffic jams in Central London, causing much irate frustration amongst many drivers (as was to be expected), but generally there was a very supportive mood from the public when the reason for the protest was explained to them.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
Media buyers should email me directly.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
Julian Assange addresses #OccupyLSX at St. Paul's Cathedral - Day One, 15.10.2011
As part of the newly-emerging global "Occupy" movement which has seen a continuous occupation of Liberty Park near Wall Street in New York, and which today saw protests in approximately 950 cities worldwide against the corruption of both bankers and governments, around 4-5,000 activists - having been blocked by police from their original objective, Paternoster Square which leads to the London Stock Exchange - converged on the front steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London to begin an occupation which. it is hoped, will oblige the financiers and bankers to realise that there are real people being grievously punished for the unpunished crimes of the banking industry which have resulted in crashing world economies and swingeing 'austerity measures' which are only paid for by the poor and middle classes. In the meanwhile the entire country has been treated to the disgraceful sight of the very people who caused this unmitigated shitstorm of greed, dishonesty and arrogance having the audacity to reward themselves with millions of pounds in bonuses, despite almost bringing the world economy to its knees.
Throughout the day the completely peaceful protesters discussed their grievances and through a series of open Spanish-style 'congresses' or 'people's assemblies' formulated a series of propositions which form the basis of the mass protest.
During the afternoon the crowd was joined by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who arrived wearing the obligatory Guy Fawkes mask made famous in the cult film "V for Vendetta", which is worn by members of hacktivist group Anonymous. Assange, wearing an electronic tag on his leg imposed by the British court as he is under house arrest awaiting deportation to Sweden - was accompanied by two police detectives, one of whom frequently made a point of holding Assange's shoulder, as if they thought for one second that one of the most identifiable faces in the world right now would ever be able to make a run for it, surrounded completely by a cordon of upwards of 3-400 police.
The only mindless, vindictive violence came from some members of the Territorial Support Group who were militaristic in their brutality towards completely passive citizens when they decided to rush the steps of the cathedral once darkness fell, during which assault they stamped on people's heads and bodies, punched and kicked several people and were seen to rip the hijab off one girl's head. All of this was to prove or gain nothing whatsoever strategically except the ability of the police to be - in my opinion as I watched it from very close quarters - criminally, dangerously violent to passive, peaceful protesters who no longer, it seems, are protected from violence by the agents of the State. When the police commit violence everyone - especially the police - knows it is very difficult to go after them to demand legal justice.
Several hours later the police abandoned the steps at the request of Cathedral officials, leaving everyone to wonder what was the primary motive of the senior officer who gave the order to lead this attack on private land when no crime had been committed. This was Abuse of Process in many people's opinion.
To follow the progress of #OccupyLSX and #OccupyLondon visit their website here, and follow them on Twitter HERE and HERE.
To follow the progress of the second protest camp set up in Finsbury Square on 22.10.2011 (photos soon) visit BeyondClicktivism and follow them on Twitter
All photos © 2011 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available on application
Julian Assange addresses #OccupyLSX at St. Paul's Cathedral - Day One, 15.10.2011
As part of the newly-emerging global "Occupy" movement which has seen a continuous occupation of Liberty Park near Wall Street in New York, and which today saw protests in approximately 950 cities worldwide against the corruption of both bankers and governments, around 4-5,000 activists - having been blocked by police from their original objective, Paternoster Square which leads to the London Stock Exchange - converged on the front steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London to begin an occupation which. it is hoped, will oblige the financiers and bankers to realise that there are real people being grievously punished for the unpunished crimes of the banking industry which have resulted in crashing world economies and swingeing 'austerity measures' which are only paid for by the poor and middle classes. In the meanwhile the entire country has been treated to the disgraceful sight of the very people who caused this unmitigated shitstorm of greed, dishonesty and arrogance having the audacity to reward themselves with millions of pounds in bonuses, despite almost bringing the world economy to its knees.
Throughout the day the completely peaceful protesters discussed their grievances and through a series of open Spanish-style 'congresses' or 'people's assemblies' formulated a series of propositions which form the basis of the mass protest.
During the afternoon the crowd was joined by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who arrived wearing the obligatory Guy Fawkes mask made famous in the cult film "V for Vendetta", which is worn by members of hacktivist group Anonymous. Assange, wearing an electronic tag on his leg imposed by the British court as he is under house arrest awaiting deportation to Sweden - was accompanied by two police detectives, one of whom frequently made a point of holding Assange's shoulder, as if they thought for one second that one of the most identifiable faces in the world right now would ever be able to make a run for it, surrounded completely by a cordon of upwards of 3-400 police.
The only mindless, vindictive violence came from some members of the Territorial Support Group who were militaristic in their brutality towards completely passive citizens when they decided to rush the steps of the cathedral once darkness fell, during which assault they stamped on people's heads and bodies, punched and kicked several people and were seen to rip the hijab off one girl's head. All of this was to prove or gain nothing whatsoever strategically except the ability of the police to be - in my opinion as I watched it from very close quarters - criminally, dangerously violent to passive, peaceful protesters who no longer, it seems, are protected from violence by the agents of the State. When the police commit violence everyone - especially the police - knows it is very difficult to go after them to demand legal justice.
Several hours later the police abandoned the steps at the request of Cathedral officials, leaving everyone to wonder what was the primary motive of the senior officer who gave the order to lead this attack on private land when no crime had been committed. This was Abuse of Process in many people's opinion.
To follow the progress of #OccupyLSX and #OccupyLondon visit their website here, and follow them on Twitter HERE and HERE.
To follow the progress of the second protest camp set up in Finsbury Square on 22.10.2011 (photos soon) visit BeyondClicktivism and follow them on Twitter
All photos © 2011 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available on application
Around two hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), WinVisible and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 28.01.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget, which is the Cameron government's only solution to the economic shockwaves caused by the banking crisis of 2008.
Congregating first in Holborn Circus by organizers, the activists (many of whom were in wheelchairs, had guide dogs, or were accompanied by their Carers and Buddies), who had earlier been instructed to arrive with a valid Oyster travel card - were entertained by a samba drum troupe. Suddenly the signal was ,given, and everyone (except the wheelchair-users, who had to find other transport because of the woefully abysmal provision for the disabled on 90% of the Victorian rail system) entered Holborn Underground Station en-masse to reappear at their top-secret destination two short stops away - the large, busy junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street, where they proceeded to spill onto the new Tokyo-style pedestrian crossing before completely blocking all traffic from the North by chaining their wheelchairs together across the road, anchored at each end to the wrought-iron railings at the entrances to the Underground station.
Police looked on, almost powerless to act without being seen to physically manhandle many severely disabled people, and it's very doubtful if they have provision to load electric wheelchairs into police carriers and hold them in custody suites without a huge public relations disaster, so instead they sensibly adopted a pastoral role, doing what they could to keep the peaceful-but-very-vocal protesters safe for the three hours their act of civil disobedience lasted, after which they all calmly dissapated, vanishing back into the underground system and home for a well-earned rest after a triumphant protest.
This is the first time that Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have had any significant support on one of their direct actions, and being joined by the extremely effective corporate tax-avoidance protesters from UK Uncut was a fantastic morale boost for the battle-hardened disabled activists. For well over a year DPAC has been fighting back against David Cameron's swingeing "austerity" cuts to the welfare budget, especially to provision for the disabled, which are only hurting the most vulnerable in our society. It seems as if the message is finally getting through to other single-issue protest groups that everything is related to everything else. Taking Disability Living Allowance from half a million disabled people, making them homeless and destitue with their considerable physical and/or mental health complications may save the Department of Work and Pensions' annual budget, but the burden of caring for all these people will now fall to local councils, already chronically stretched by huge government cuts to their budgets - and it is widely understood by everyone that it is much, much cheaper to keep a disabled person living independently with State help than it is to reinstate the Victorian Institutions and Hospitals, which past campaigners fought so hard for so long to abolish because of the inherent cruelty in institutionalising the disabled who previously had independent lives and employment but can no longer get to work because the Conservative government has taken away their mobility allowances...
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) & UK Uncut blockade Trafalgar Square - London, 18.04..2012
On 18th April 2012, around a hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), Right to Work Campaign and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 18.04.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget.
Congregating at Leicester Square, the activists marched down Charing Cross Road - stopping twice mid-way to bring traffic to a halt - and proceeded to Trafalgar Square where there was already an advanced party of activists armed with heavy chains and padlocks waiting for them, where they proceeded to completely block off two roads by chaining their wheelchairs to lampposts and railings on either side of the road.
Frustrated police eventually brought chain-cutters, but the protesters refuses to move from their positions, and at that point, beyond begging them to move, the police had to stand by and wait until the protesters decided - two hours later - to move. The protest caused massive traffic jams in Central London, causing much irate frustration amongst many drivers (as was to be expected), but generally there was a very supportive mood from the public when the reason for the protest was explained to them.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
Media buyers should email me directly.
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Protest marks Bradley Manning's 1,000 days in prison - London, 23.02.2013
As part of a global day of action, protesters gathered at the US Embassy in London today to mark US Army Private Bradley Manning's 1,000th day in prison without trial over the leaking of classified US Army documents now known as the "Iraq War Logs" to whistleblowing website Wikileaks which revealed shocking details of war crimes committed by the US Army in Iraq, including the notorious "Collateral Damage" helicopter gunship cockpit video which showed American pilots indiscriminately murdering civilians and journalists.
Denied a speedy trial, and having been subjected to cruel and punitive treatment in military prisons which have been classified as torture by Amnesty International and other Human Rights organisations, Manning's supporters are calling for the US Army's prosecutors to stop hindering Manning's legal team access to important evidence at every turn.
Branded a traitor by many in the USA, and a hero by many others globally for exposing American crimes in Iraq, Manning is being charged under the US Espionage Act and an egregious “aiding the enemy” charge which could see him executed, even though it has been proven that not a single American has been harmed as a result of Manning's exposure of criminal behaviour. A spokesman from BradleyManning.org in the US said in a statement this week "There has never been a more important time to broadcast our message of support for exposing war crimes, international justice, and people's right to know what the government does in our name."
Interestingly, Bradley Manning's purported massive leak of documents - many of which detailed corruption, collusion and ex-judicial murder by various Middle Eastern despots - is said by many to have been the inspiration for the Arab Spring...
Groups supporting Manning at the American Embassy in London (owned by Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company) included 'Wise Up Action', 'Veterans for Peace UK', 'Queer Strike', 'All African Women's Network', 'Women Against Rape', 'PayDay Men's Network', 'London Catholic Worker' and 'OccupyLondon'.
For information on UK campaigns, visit Wise Up Action
For information on Global campaigns, visit www.bradleymanning.org
#OccupyLSX protesters gather at St. Paul's Cathedral - Day One, 15.10.2011
As part of the newly-emerging global "Occupy" movement which has seen a continuous occupation of Liberty Park near Wall Street in New York, and which today saw protests in approximately 950 cities worldwide against the corruption of both bankers and governments, around 4-5,000 activists - having been blocked by police from their original objective, Paternoster Square which leads to the London Stock Exchange - converged on the front steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London to begin an occupation which. it is hoped, will oblige the financiers and bankers to realise that there are real people being grievously punished for the unpunished crimes of the banking industry which have resulted in crashing world economies and swingeing 'austerity measures' which are only paid for by the poor and middle classes. In the meanwhile the entire country has been treated to the disgraceful sight of the very people who caused this unmitigated shitstorm of greed, dishonesty and arrogance having the audacity to reward themselves with millions of pounds in bonuses, despite almost bringing the world economy to its knees.
Throughout the day the completely peaceful protesters discussed their grievances and through a series of open Spanish-style 'congresses' or 'people's assemblies' formulated a series of propositions which form the basis of the mass protest.
During the afternoon the crowd was joined by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who arrived wearing the obligatory Guy Fawkes mask made famous in the cult film "V for Vendetta", which is worn by members of hacktivist group Anonymous. Assange, wearing an electronic tag on his leg imposed by the British court as he is under house arrest awaiting deportation to Sweden - was accompanied by two police detectives, one of whom frequently made a point of holding Assange's shoulder, as if they thought for one second that one of the most identifiable faces in the world right now would ever be able to make a run for it, surrounded completely by a cordon of upwards of 3-400 police.
The only mindless, vindictive violence came from some members of the Territorial Support Group who were militaristic in their brutality towards completely passive citizens when they decided to rush the steps of the cathedral once darkness fell, during which assault they stamped on people's heads and bodies, punched and kicked several people and were seen to rip the hijab off one girl's head. All of this was to prove or gain nothing whatsoever strategically except the ability of the police to be - in my opinion as I watched it from very close quarters - criminally, dangerously violent to passive, peaceful protesters who no longer, it seems, are protected from violence by the agents of the State. When the police commit violence everyone - especially the police - knows it is very difficult to go after them to demand legal justice.
Several hours later the police abandoned the steps at the request of Cathedral officials, leaving everyone to wonder what was the primary motive of the senior officer who gave the order to lead this attack on private land when no crime had been committed. This was Abuse of Process in many people's opinion.
To follow the progress of #OccupyLSX and #OccupyLondon visit their website here, and follow them on Twitter HERE and HERE.
To follow the progress of the second protest camp set up in Finsbury Square on 22.10.2011 (photos soon) visit BeyondClicktivism and follow them on Twitter
All photos © 2011 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available on application
Protest and demonstration against economic inequality
© All rights reserved iDJ Photography 2012 idjphotography.com
London Stock Exchange |
St. Paul's Cathedral Church Yard, London, UK
| Citizen Media | 'Global Revolution' | Live Stream of International Protests by journalists and citizen journalists on the ground www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
Protest marks Bradley Manning's 1,000 days in prison - London, 23.02.2013
As part of a global day of action, protesters gathered at the US Embassy in London today to mark US Army Private Bradley Manning's 1,000th day in prison without trial over the leaking of classified US Army documents now known as the "Iraq War Logs" to whistleblowing website Wikileaks which revealed shocking details of war crimes committed by the US Army in Iraq, including the notorious "Collateral Damage" helicopter gunship cockpit video which showed American pilots indiscriminately murdering civilians and journalists.
Denied a speedy trial, and having been subjected to cruel and punitive treatment in military prisons which have been classified as torture by Amnesty International and other Human Rights organisations, Manning's supporters are calling for the US Army's prosecutors to stop hindering Manning's legal team access to important evidence at every turn.
Branded a traitor by many in the USA, and a hero by many others globally for exposing American crimes in Iraq, Manning is being charged under the US Espionage Act and an egregious “aiding the enemy” charge which could see him executed, even though it has been proven that not a single American has been harmed as a result of Manning's exposure of criminal behaviour. A spokesman from BradleyManning.org in the US said in a statement this week "There has never been a more important time to broadcast our message of support for exposing war crimes, international justice, and people's right to know what the government does in our name."
Interestingly, Bradley Manning's purported massive leak of documents - many of which detailed corruption, collusion and ex-judicial murder by various Middle Eastern despots - is said by many to have been the inspiration for the Arab Spring...
Groups supporting Manning at the American Embassy in London (owned by Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company) included 'Wise Up Action', 'Veterans for Peace UK', 'Queer Strike', 'All African Women's Network', 'Women Against Rape', 'PayDay Men's Network', 'London Catholic Worker' and 'OccupyLondon'.
For information on UK campaigns, visit Wise Up Action
For information on Global campaigns, visit www.bradleymanning.org
DPAC activists deliver protest letter to Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller (MP) : London 13.02.2012
Campaigners from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Hammersmith and Fulham Coalition Against Community Care Cuts (HAFCAC) and the Right to Work Campaign (RtWC) protested outside the Department for Work and Pensions against the government's decision to abolish the Independent Living Fund (ILF) in 2015.
New applications to this critical funding resource for the most vulnerable people with severe disabilities was stopped in 2010. The protesters are very concerned that this has all been set in motion without any proper consultation with disabled users, and neither has there been an equality impact assessment of the effects ending the ILF will have on people living with disabilities. This, claim the protesters, violates articles 4, 17 and 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which the United Kingdom is a co-signatory.
Article 19 [Living independently and being included in the community"] states that "Disabled people have a right to live in the community, with the support they need and can make choices other people do". It also states that they should be included in things that other people do, and all countries signed up to the Convention must: "Make sure that disabled people get the help they need to live in the community; this means things like getting personal assistance."
In addition, the United Nations International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) states that "Disabled People have the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and have the right to an adequate standard of living".
As such, the UK has a duty to work progressively, to the maximum extent of its available resources, to deliver these rights, even in a period of economic downturn.
David Cameron's government, however, claims chillingly that funding disabled people is "unsustainable", yet we see billions of pounds in corporate taxes remaining uncollected by huge corporations and individuals who have wined and dined government officials and ministers, and we have witnessed the squandering of further billions of pounds by this government on consultants and failed IT systems. It seems to many that the government is more than happy to pour good money after bad to fund its favourite ideological political projects, yet there is not enough money to keep the most vulnerable members of our society out of the new-wave of Victorian Asylums.
Supposedly a ring-fenced resource for a priority group of disabled people with high support needs which provides a much better quality of life and independence which could not be provided by local authority funding, the loss of this fund will undoubtedly result in many severely disabled people losing their independence and finding themselves warehoused in unsuitable care homes, where, once isolated from the outside world, it is believed that many will suffer neglect. Maintaining some control over the provision of good quality care is hugely important to this small group of vulnerable users, both in terms of physical help, but also in terms of human dignity and pride.
The loss of the ILF will also mean many disabled people will no longer be able to do paid work and contribute back to society by way of income tax, further marginalising this already-demonized section of British society which has been under constant, sustained attack by the government since coming to power in 2010.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, reblog or otherwise transmit my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
London Stock Exchange |
St. Paul's Cathedral Church Yard, London, UK
| Citizen Media | 'Global Revolution' | Live Stream of International Protests by journalists and citizen journalists on the ground www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
Pay Up! pickets Sainsbury's over employment poverty wages - London, 28.05.2012
Formed by activists from UK Uncut, Occupy, Unite the Union and community organisations, Pay Up!, which plans to go national as quickly as possible, chose Sainsbury's to launch their campaign against "employment poverty" which sees thousands of Sainsbury's shop-floor employees being paid only the UK minimum wage which amounts to £6.08p per hour for over-21s, £4.98p for 18-20s and £3.68p for 16-17 yrs old school leavers. These employees, say Pay Up, should be receiving the nationally recognised "Living Wage" of £7.20 per hour in the regions, and £8.30p in London.
Sainsbury's has seen profit's rise 299% over the past 7 years, whilst their workers on low pay have been forced to accept a pay freeze which, in the face of current inflation, is effectively a wage cut, and a huge number of Sainsbury's full and part-time staff are having to apply for housing benefits and other benefits just to survive, despite the retail grocery giant posting year-end profits for 2011 of £712 million - a 7% increase on 2010, despite the double-dip recession.
It is outrageous, say Pay Up, that some Sainsbury's employees are so badly paid that they are forced to drain the benefits system just to survive, whilst Sainsbury's are turning a huge profit and are planning to increase core spending in 2012-2013 to £1bn and also to increase payouts to their stockholders. The company boasted disingenuously last week that their employees "will receive on average a £600 bonus", which translates to as little as £49 for many employees who are denied enough working hours to sustain a basic living. The overwhelming bulk of the bonus pot will go to the already-well paid managers and directors.
Media buyers should view this story on Demotix, or you can email me directly.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
#OccupyLSX protesters gather at St. Paul's Cathedral - Day One, 15.10.2011
As part of the newly-emerging global "Occupy" movement which has seen a continuous occupation of Liberty Park near Wall Street in New York, and which today saw protests in approximately 950 cities worldwide against the corruption of both bankers and governments, around 4-5,000 activists - having been blocked by police from their original objective, Paternoster Square which leads to the London Stock Exchange - converged on the front steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London to begin an occupation which. it is hoped, will oblige the financiers and bankers to realise that there are real people being grievously punished for the unpunished crimes of the banking industry which have resulted in crashing world economies and swingeing 'austerity measures' which are only paid for by the poor and middle classes. In the meanwhile the entire country has been treated to the disgraceful sight of the very people who caused this unmitigated shitstorm of greed, dishonesty and arrogance having the audacity to reward themselves with millions of pounds in bonuses, despite almost bringing the world economy to its knees.
Throughout the day the completely peaceful protesters discussed their grievances and through a series of open Spanish-style 'congresses' or 'people's assemblies' formulated a series of propositions which form the basis of the mass protest.
During the afternoon the crowd was joined by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who arrived wearing the obligatory Guy Fawkes mask made famous in the cult film "V for Vendetta", which is worn by members of hacktivist group Anonymous. Assange, wearing an electronic tag on his leg imposed by the British court as he is under house arrest awaiting deportation to Sweden - was accompanied by two police detectives, one of whom frequently made a point of holding Assange's shoulder, as if they thought for one second that one of the most identifiable faces in the world right now would ever be able to make a run for it, surrounded completely by a cordon of upwards of 3-400 police.
The only mindless, vindictive violence came from some members of the Territorial Support Group who were militaristic in their brutality towards completely passive citizens when they decided to rush the steps of the cathedral once darkness fell, during which assault they stamped on people's heads and bodies, punched and kicked several people and were seen to rip the hijab off one girl's head. All of this was to prove or gain nothing whatsoever strategically except the ability of the police to be - in my opinion as I watched it from very close quarters - criminally, dangerously violent to passive, peaceful protesters who no longer, it seems, are protected from violence by the agents of the State. When the police commit violence everyone - especially the police - knows it is very difficult to go after them to demand legal justice.
Several hours later the police abandoned the steps at the request of Cathedral officials, leaving everyone to wonder what was the primary motive of the senior officer who gave the order to lead this attack on private land when no crime had been committed. This was Abuse of Process in many people's opinion.
To follow the progress of #OccupyLSX and #OccupyLondon visit their website here, and follow them on Twitter HERE and HERE.
To follow the progress of the second protest camp set up in Finsbury Square on 22.10.2011 (photos soon) visit BeyondClicktivism and follow them on Twitter
All photos © 2011 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available on application
Julian Assange addresses #OccupyLSX at St. Paul's Cathedral - Day One, 15.10.2011
As part of the newly-emerging global "Occupy" movement which has seen a continuous occupation of Liberty Park near Wall Street in New York, and which today saw protests in approximately 950 cities worldwide against the corruption of both bankers and governments, around 4-5,000 activists - having been blocked by police from their original objective, Paternoster Square which leads to the London Stock Exchange - converged on the front steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London to begin an occupation which. it is hoped, will oblige the financiers and bankers to realise that there are real people being grievously punished for the unpunished crimes of the banking industry which have resulted in crashing world economies and swingeing 'austerity measures' which are only paid for by the poor and middle classes. In the meanwhile the entire country has been treated to the disgraceful sight of the very people who caused this unmitigated shitstorm of greed, dishonesty and arrogance having the audacity to reward themselves with millions of pounds in bonuses, despite almost bringing the world economy to its knees.
Throughout the day the completely peaceful protesters discussed their grievances and through a series of open Spanish-style 'congresses' or 'people's assemblies' formulated a series of propositions which form the basis of the mass protest.
During the afternoon the crowd was joined by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who arrived wearing the obligatory Guy Fawkes mask made famous in the cult film "V for Vendetta", which is worn by members of hacktivist group Anonymous. Assange, wearing an electronic tag on his leg imposed by the British court as he is under house arrest awaiting deportation to Sweden - was accompanied by two police detectives, one of whom frequently made a point of holding Assange's shoulder, as if they thought for one second that one of the most identifiable faces in the world right now would ever be able to make a run for it, surrounded completely by a cordon of upwards of 3-400 police.
The only mindless, vindictive violence came from some members of the Territorial Support Group who were militaristic in their brutality towards completely passive citizens when they decided to rush the steps of the cathedral once darkness fell, during which assault they stamped on people's heads and bodies, punched and kicked several people and were seen to rip the hijab off one girl's head. All of this was to prove or gain nothing whatsoever strategically except the ability of the police to be - in my opinion as I watched it from very close quarters - criminally, dangerously violent to passive, peaceful protesters who no longer, it seems, are protected from violence by the agents of the State. When the police commit violence everyone - especially the police - knows it is very difficult to go after them to demand legal justice.
Several hours later the police abandoned the steps at the request of Cathedral officials, leaving everyone to wonder what was the primary motive of the senior officer who gave the order to lead this attack on private land when no crime had been committed. This was Abuse of Process in many people's opinion.
To follow the progress of #OccupyLSX and #OccupyLondon visit their website here, and follow them on Twitter HERE and HERE.
To follow the progress of the second protest camp set up in Finsbury Square on 22.10.2011 (photos soon) visit BeyondClicktivism and follow them on Twitter
All photos © 2011 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available on application
Julian Assange addresses #OccupyLSX at St. Paul's Cathedral - Day One, 15.10.2011
As part of the newly-emerging global "Occupy" movement which has seen a continuous occupation of Liberty Park near Wall Street in New York, and which today saw protests in approximately 950 cities worldwide against the corruption of both bankers and governments, around 4-5,000 activists - having been blocked by police from their original objective, Paternoster Square which leads to the London Stock Exchange - converged on the front steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London to begin an occupation which. it is hoped, will oblige the financiers and bankers to realise that there are real people being grievously punished for the unpunished crimes of the banking industry which have resulted in crashing world economies and swingeing 'austerity measures' which are only paid for by the poor and middle classes. In the meanwhile the entire country has been treated to the disgraceful sight of the very people who caused this unmitigated shitstorm of greed, dishonesty and arrogance having the audacity to reward themselves with millions of pounds in bonuses, despite almost bringing the world economy to its knees.
Throughout the day the completely peaceful protesters discussed their grievances and through a series of open Spanish-style 'congresses' or 'people's assemblies' formulated a series of propositions which form the basis of the mass protest.
During the afternoon the crowd was joined by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who arrived wearing the obligatory Guy Fawkes mask made famous in the cult film "V for Vendetta", which is worn by members of hacktivist group Anonymous. Assange, wearing an electronic tag on his leg imposed by the British court as he is under house arrest awaiting deportation to Sweden - was accompanied by two police detectives, one of whom frequently made a point of holding Assange's shoulder, as if they thought for one second that one of the most identifiable faces in the world right now would ever be able to make a run for it, surrounded completely by a cordon of upwards of 3-400 police.
The only mindless, vindictive violence came from some members of the Territorial Support Group who were militaristic in their brutality towards completely passive citizens when they decided to rush the steps of the cathedral once darkness fell, during which assault they stamped on people's heads and bodies, punched and kicked several people and were seen to rip the hijab off one girl's head. All of this was to prove or gain nothing whatsoever strategically except the ability of the police to be - in my opinion as I watched it from very close quarters - criminally, dangerously violent to passive, peaceful protesters who no longer, it seems, are protected from violence by the agents of the State. When the police commit violence everyone - especially the police - knows it is very difficult to go after them to demand legal justice.
Several hours later the police abandoned the steps at the request of Cathedral officials, leaving everyone to wonder what was the primary motive of the senior officer who gave the order to lead this attack on private land when no crime had been committed. This was Abuse of Process in many people's opinion.
To follow the progress of #OccupyLSX and #OccupyLondon visit their website here, and follow them on Twitter HERE and HERE.
To follow the progress of the second protest camp set up in Finsbury Square on 22.10.2011 (photos soon) visit BeyondClicktivism and follow them on Twitter
All photos © 2011 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available on application
Around two hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), WinVisible and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 28.01.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget, which is the Cameron government's only solution to the economic shockwaves caused by the banking crisis of 2008.
Congregating first in Holborn Circus by organizers, the activists (many of whom were in wheelchairs, had guide dogs, or were accompanied by their Carers and Buddies), who had earlier been instructed to arrive with a valid Oyster travel card - were entertained by a samba drum troupe. Suddenly the signal was ,given, and everyone (except the wheelchair-users, who had to find other transport because of the woefully abysmal provision for the disabled on 90% of the Victorian rail system) entered Holborn Underground Station en-masse to reappear at their top-secret destination two short stops away - the large, busy junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street, where they proceeded to spill onto the new Tokyo-style pedestrian crossing before completely blocking all traffic from the North by chaining their wheelchairs together across the road, anchored at each end to the wrought-iron railings at the entrances to the Underground station.
Police looked on, almost powerless to act without being seen to physically manhandle many severely disabled people, and it's very doubtful if they have provision to load electric wheelchairs into police carriers and hold them in custody suites without a huge public relations disaster, so instead they sensibly adopted a pastoral role, doing what they could to keep the peaceful-but-very-vocal protesters safe for the three hours their act of civil disobedience lasted, after which they all calmly dissapated, vanishing back into the underground system and home for a well-earned rest after a triumphant protest.
This is the first time that Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have had any significant support on one of their direct actions, and being joined by the extremely effective corporate tax-avoidance protesters from UK Uncut was a fantastic morale boost for the battle-hardened disabled activists. For well over a year DPAC has been fighting back against David Cameron's swingeing "austerity" cuts to the welfare budget, especially to provision for the disabled, which are only hurting the most vulnerable in our society. It seems as if the message is finally getting through to other single-issue protest groups that everything is related to everything else. Taking Disability Living Allowance from half a million disabled people, making them homeless and destitue with their considerable physical and/or mental health complications may save the Department of Work and Pensions' annual budget, but the burden of caring for all these people will now fall to local councils, already chronically stretched by huge government cuts to their budgets - and it is widely understood by everyone that it is much, much cheaper to keep a disabled person living independently with State help than it is to reinstate the Victorian Institutions and Hospitals, which past campaigners fought so hard for so long to abolish because of the inherent cruelty in institutionalising the disabled who previously had independent lives and employment but can no longer get to work because the Conservative government has taken away their mobility allowances...
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
After marching from St Pauls to various financial institutions in the city hundreds of people close to the Bank of England on an international day of action. Police arrest some of the protestors in a long operation lasting a few hours.
London Stock Exchange |
St. Paul's Cathedral Church Yard, London, UK
| Citizen Media | 'Global Revolution' | Live Stream of International Protests by journalists and citizen journalists on the ground www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
#OccupyLSX protesters gather at St. Paul's Cathedral - Day One, 15.10.2011
As part of the newly-emerging global "Occupy" movement which has seen a continuous occupation of Liberty Park near Wall Street in New York, and which today saw protests in approximately 950 cities worldwide against the corruption of both bankers and governments, around 4-5,000 activists - having been blocked by police from their original objective, Paternoster Square which leads to the London Stock Exchange - converged on the front steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London to begin an occupation which. it is hoped, will oblige the financiers and bankers to realise that there are real people being grievously punished for the unpunished crimes of the banking industry which have resulted in crashing world economies and swingeing 'austerity measures' which are only paid for by the poor and middle classes. In the meanwhile the entire country has been treated to the disgraceful sight of the very people who caused this unmitigated shitstorm of greed, dishonesty and arrogance having the audacity to reward themselves with millions of pounds in bonuses, despite almost bringing the world economy to its knees.
Throughout the day the completely peaceful protesters discussed their grievances and through a series of open Spanish-style 'congresses' or 'people's assemblies' formulated a series of propositions which form the basis of the mass protest.
During the afternoon the crowd was joined by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who arrived wearing the obligatory Guy Fawkes mask made famous in the cult film "V for Vendetta", which is worn by members of hacktivist group Anonymous. Assange, wearing an electronic tag on his leg imposed by the British court as he is under house arrest awaiting deportation to Sweden - was accompanied by two police detectives, one of whom frequently made a point of holding Assange's shoulder, as if they thought for one second that one of the most identifiable faces in the world right now would ever be able to make a run for it, surrounded completely by a cordon of upwards of 3-400 police.
The only mindless, vindictive violence came from some members of the Territorial Support Group who were militaristic in their brutality towards completely passive citizens when they decided to rush the steps of the cathedral once darkness fell, during which assault they stamped on people's heads and bodies, punched and kicked several people and were seen to rip the hijab off one girl's head. All of this was to prove or gain nothing whatsoever strategically except the ability of the police to be - in my opinion as I watched it from very close quarters - criminally, dangerously violent to passive, peaceful protesters who no longer, it seems, are protected from violence by the agents of the State. When the police commit violence everyone - especially the police - knows it is very difficult to go after them to demand legal justice.
Several hours later the police abandoned the steps at the request of Cathedral officials, leaving everyone to wonder what was the primary motive of the senior officer who gave the order to lead this attack on private land when no crime had been committed. This was Abuse of Process in many people's opinion.
To follow the progress of #OccupyLSX and #OccupyLondon visit their website here, and follow them on Twitter HERE and HERE.
To follow the progress of the second protest camp set up in Finsbury Square on 22.10.2011 (photos soon) visit BeyondClicktivism and follow them on Twitter
All photos © 2011 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available on application
#OccupyLSX protesters gather at St. Paul's Cathedral - Day One, 15.10.2011
As part of the newly-emerging global "Occupy" movement which has seen a continuous occupation of Liberty Park near Wall Street in New York, and which today saw protests in approximately 950 cities worldwide against the corruption of both bankers and governments, around 4-5,000 activists - having been blocked by police from their original objective, Paternoster Square which leads to the London Stock Exchange - converged on the front steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London to begin an occupation which. it is hoped, will oblige the financiers and bankers to realise that there are real people being grievously punished for the unpunished crimes of the banking industry which have resulted in crashing world economies and swingeing 'austerity measures' which are only paid for by the poor and middle classes. In the meanwhile the entire country has been treated to the disgraceful sight of the very people who caused this unmitigated shitstorm of greed, dishonesty and arrogance having the audacity to reward themselves with millions of pounds in bonuses, despite almost bringing the world economy to its knees.
Throughout the day the completely peaceful protesters discussed their grievances and through a series of open Spanish-style 'congresses' or 'people's assemblies' formulated a series of propositions which form the basis of the mass protest.
During the afternoon the crowd was joined by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who arrived wearing the obligatory Guy Fawkes mask made famous in the cult film "V for Vendetta", which is worn by members of hacktivist group Anonymous. Assange, wearing an electronic tag on his leg imposed by the British court as he is under house arrest awaiting deportation to Sweden - was accompanied by two police detectives, one of whom frequently made a point of holding Assange's shoulder, as if they thought for one second that one of the most identifiable faces in the world right now would ever be able to make a run for it, surrounded completely by a cordon of upwards of 3-400 police.
The only mindless, vindictive violence came from some members of the Territorial Support Group who were militaristic in their brutality towards completely passive citizens when they decided to rush the steps of the cathedral once darkness fell, during which assault they stamped on people's heads and bodies, punched and kicked several people and were seen to rip the hijab off one girl's head. All of this was to prove or gain nothing whatsoever strategically except the ability of the police to be - in my opinion as I watched it from very close quarters - criminally, dangerously violent to passive, peaceful protesters who no longer, it seems, are protected from violence by the agents of the State. When the police commit violence everyone - especially the police - knows it is very difficult to go after them to demand legal justice.
Several hours later the police abandoned the steps at the request of Cathedral officials, leaving everyone to wonder what was the primary motive of the senior officer who gave the order to lead this attack on private land when no crime had been committed. This was Abuse of Process in many people's opinion.
To follow the progress of #OccupyLSX and #OccupyLondon visit their website here, and follow them on Twitter HERE and HERE.
To follow the progress of the second protest camp set up in Finsbury Square on 22.10.2011 (photos soon) visit BeyondClicktivism and follow them on Twitter
All photos © 2011 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available on application
Around two hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), WinVisible and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 28.01.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget, which is the Cameron government's only solution to the economic shockwaves caused by the banking crisis of 2008.
Congregating first in Holborn Circus by organizers, the activists (many of whom were in wheelchairs, had guide dogs, or were accompanied by their Carers and Buddies), who had earlier been instructed to arrive with a valid Oyster travel card - were entertained by a samba drum troupe. Suddenly the signal was ,given, and everyone (except the wheelchair-users, who had to find other transport because of the woefully abysmal provision for the disabled on 90% of the Victorian rail system) entered Holborn Underground Station en-masse to reappear at their top-secret destination two short stops away - the large, busy junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street, where they proceeded to spill onto the new Tokyo-style pedestrian crossing before completely blocking all traffic from the North by chaining their wheelchairs together across the road, anchored at each end to the wrought-iron railings at the entrances to the Underground station.
Police looked on, almost powerless to act without being seen to physically manhandle many severely disabled people, and it's very doubtful if they have provision to load electric wheelchairs into police carriers and hold them in custody suites without a huge public relations disaster, so instead they sensibly adopted a pastoral role, doing what they could to keep the peaceful-but-very-vocal protesters safe for the three hours their act of civil disobedience lasted, after which they all calmly dissapated, vanishing back into the underground system and home for a well-earned rest after a triumphant protest.
This is the first time that Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have had any significant support on one of their direct actions, and being joined by the extremely effective corporate tax-avoidance protesters from UK Uncut was a fantastic morale boost for the battle-hardened disabled activists. For well over a year DPAC has been fighting back against David Cameron's swingeing "austerity" cuts to the welfare budget, especially to provision for the disabled, which are only hurting the most vulnerable in our society. It seems as if the message is finally getting through to other single-issue protest groups that everything is related to everything else. Taking Disability Living Allowance from half a million disabled people, making them homeless and destitue with their considerable physical and/or mental health complications may save the Department of Work and Pensions' annual budget, but the burden of caring for all these people will now fall to local councils, already chronically stretched by huge government cuts to their budgets - and it is widely understood by everyone that it is much, much cheaper to keep a disabled person living independently with State help than it is to reinstate the Victorian Institutions and Hospitals, which past campaigners fought so hard for so long to abolish because of the inherent cruelty in institutionalising the disabled who previously had independent lives and employment but can no longer get to work because the Conservative government has taken away their mobility allowances...
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
#OccupyLSX protesters gather at St. Paul's Cathedral - Day One, 15.10.2011
As part of the newly-emerging global "Occupy" movement which has seen a continuous occupation of Liberty Park near Wall Street in New York, and which today saw protests in approximately 950 cities worldwide against the corruption of both bankers and governments, around 4-5,000 activists - having been blocked by police from their original objective, Paternoster Square which leads to the London Stock Exchange - converged on the front steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London to begin an occupation which. it is hoped, will oblige the financiers and bankers to realise that there are real people being grievously punished for the unpunished crimes of the banking industry which have resulted in crashing world economies and swingeing 'austerity measures' which are only paid for by the poor and middle classes. In the meanwhile the entire country has been treated to the disgraceful sight of the very people who caused this unmitigated shitstorm of greed, dishonesty and arrogance having the audacity to reward themselves with millions of pounds in bonuses, despite almost bringing the world economy to its knees.
Throughout the day the completely peaceful protesters discussed their grievances and through a series of open Spanish-style 'congresses' or 'people's assemblies' formulated a series of propositions which form the basis of the mass protest.
During the afternoon the crowd was joined by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who arrived wearing the obligatory Guy Fawkes mask made famous in the cult film "V for Vendetta", which is worn by members of hacktivist group Anonymous. Assange, wearing an electronic tag on his leg imposed by the British court as he is under house arrest awaiting deportation to Sweden - was accompanied by two police detectives, one of whom frequently made a point of holding Assange's shoulder, as if they thought for one second that one of the most identifiable faces in the world right now would ever be able to make a run for it, surrounded completely by a cordon of upwards of 3-400 police.
The only mindless, vindictive violence came from some members of the Territorial Support Group who were militaristic in their brutality towards completely passive citizens when they decided to rush the steps of the cathedral once darkness fell, during which assault they stamped on people's heads and bodies, punched and kicked several people and were seen to rip the hijab off one girl's head. All of this was to prove or gain nothing whatsoever strategically except the ability of the police to be - in my opinion as I watched it from very close quarters - criminally, dangerously violent to passive, peaceful protesters who no longer, it seems, are protected from violence by the agents of the State. When the police commit violence everyone - especially the police - knows it is very difficult to go after them to demand legal justice.
Several hours later the police abandoned the steps at the request of Cathedral officials, leaving everyone to wonder what was the primary motive of the senior officer who gave the order to lead this attack on private land when no crime had been committed. This was Abuse of Process in many people's opinion.
To follow the progress of #OccupyLSX and #OccupyLondon visit their website here, and follow them on Twitter HERE and HERE.
To follow the progress of the second protest camp set up in Finsbury Square on 22.10.2011 (photos soon) visit BeyondClicktivism and follow them on Twitter
All photos © 2011 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available on application
#OccupyLSX protesters gather at St. Paul's Cathedral - Day One, 15.10.2011
As part of the newly-emerging global "Occupy" movement which has seen a continuous occupation of Liberty Park near Wall Street in New York, and which today saw protests in approximately 950 cities worldwide against the corruption of both bankers and governments, around 4-5,000 activists - having been blocked by police from their original objective, Paternoster Square which leads to the London Stock Exchange - converged on the front steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London to begin an occupation which. it is hoped, will oblige the financiers and bankers to realise that there are real people being grievously punished for the unpunished crimes of the banking industry which have resulted in crashing world economies and swingeing 'austerity measures' which are only paid for by the poor and middle classes. In the meanwhile the entire country has been treated to the disgraceful sight of the very people who caused this unmitigated shitstorm of greed, dishonesty and arrogance having the audacity to reward themselves with millions of pounds in bonuses, despite almost bringing the world economy to its knees.
Throughout the day the completely peaceful protesters discussed their grievances and through a series of open Spanish-style 'congresses' or 'people's assemblies' formulated a series of propositions which form the basis of the mass protest.
During the afternoon the crowd was joined by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who arrived wearing the obligatory Guy Fawkes mask made famous in the cult film "V for Vendetta", which is worn by members of hacktivist group Anonymous. Assange, wearing an electronic tag on his leg imposed by the British court as he is under house arrest awaiting deportation to Sweden - was accompanied by two police detectives, one of whom frequently made a point of holding Assange's shoulder, as if they thought for one second that one of the most identifiable faces in the world right now would ever be able to make a run for it, surrounded completely by a cordon of upwards of 3-400 police.
The only mindless, vindictive violence came from some members of the Territorial Support Group who were militaristic in their brutality towards completely passive citizens when they decided to rush the steps of the cathedral once darkness fell, during which assault they stamped on people's heads and bodies, punched and kicked several people and were seen to rip the hijab off one girl's head. All of this was to prove or gain nothing whatsoever strategically except the ability of the police to be - in my opinion as I watched it from very close quarters - criminally, dangerously violent to passive, peaceful protesters who no longer, it seems, are protected from violence by the agents of the State. When the police commit violence everyone - especially the police - knows it is very difficult to go after them to demand legal justice.
Several hours later the police abandoned the steps at the request of Cathedral officials, leaving everyone to wonder what was the primary motive of the senior officer who gave the order to lead this attack on private land when no crime had been committed. This was Abuse of Process in many people's opinion.
To follow the progress of #OccupyLSX and #OccupyLondon visit their website here, and follow them on Twitter HERE and HERE.
To follow the progress of the second protest camp set up in Finsbury Square on 22.10.2011 (photos soon) visit BeyondClicktivism and follow them on Twitter
All photos © 2011 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available on application
Around two hundred activists from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Disabled Activists Network (DAN), WinVisible and anti-corporate tax-avoidance campaigners UK Uncut joined forces on 28.01.2012 to carry out a demonstration and acts of civil disobedience to protest against the ongoing savage cuts being made to disability benefits by the Coalition Government led by Old Etonian, ex-Bullingdon Club member and ex-PR man, prime minister David Cameron, who has overseen a concerted public attack on the weakest, most vulnerable members of British society - the sick, the disabled and the dying - who are seeing the welfare benefits they depend on to survive slashed at the same time as they have been publicly demonised and branded work-shy scroungers by a compliant right-wing press, in order to slash the welfare budget, which is the Cameron government's only solution to the economic shockwaves caused by the banking crisis of 2008.
Congregating first in Holborn Circus by organizers, the activists (many of whom were in wheelchairs, had guide dogs, or were accompanied by their Carers and Buddies), who had earlier been instructed to arrive with a valid Oyster travel card - were entertained by a samba drum troupe. Suddenly the signal was ,given, and everyone (except the wheelchair-users, who had to find other transport because of the woefully abysmal provision for the disabled on 90% of the Victorian rail system) entered Holborn Underground Station en-masse to reappear at their top-secret destination two short stops away - the large, busy junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street, where they proceeded to spill onto the new Tokyo-style pedestrian crossing before completely blocking all traffic from the North by chaining their wheelchairs together across the road, anchored at each end to the wrought-iron railings at the entrances to the Underground station.
Police looked on, almost powerless to act without being seen to physically manhandle many severely disabled people, and it's very doubtful if they have provision to load electric wheelchairs into police carriers and hold them in custody suites without a huge public relations disaster, so instead they sensibly adopted a pastoral role, doing what they could to keep the peaceful-but-very-vocal protesters safe for the three hours their act of civil disobedience lasted, after which they all calmly dissapated, vanishing back into the underground system and home for a well-earned rest after a triumphant protest.
This is the first time that Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have had any significant support on one of their direct actions, and being joined by the extremely effective corporate tax-avoidance protesters from UK Uncut was a fantastic morale boost for the battle-hardened disabled activists. For well over a year DPAC has been fighting back against David Cameron's swingeing "austerity" cuts to the welfare budget, especially to provision for the disabled, which are only hurting the most vulnerable in our society. It seems as if the message is finally getting through to other single-issue protest groups that everything is related to everything else. Taking Disability Living Allowance from half a million disabled people, making them homeless and destitue with their considerable physical and/or mental health complications may save the Department of Work and Pensions' annual budget, but the burden of caring for all these people will now fall to local councils, already chronically stretched by huge government cuts to their budgets - and it is widely understood by everyone that it is much, much cheaper to keep a disabled person living independently with State help than it is to reinstate the Victorian Institutions and Hospitals, which past campaigners fought so hard for so long to abolish because of the inherent cruelty in institutionalising the disabled who previously had independent lives and employment but can no longer get to work because the Conservative government has taken away their mobility allowances...
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.