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DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit 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 or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
More Than 250 Cricket Fans Surround Nelsons Column To Celebrate India Winning the Cricket World Cup. London, UK. 02/04/2011
FORT A.P. HILL, Va. – Three new security guards learned the power of pepper spray May 1 as part of their training here.
The Fort A.P. Hill Directorate of Emergency Services recently hired Joseph Figert, Jerry Mensah and Shasta Williams to be its first new security guards.
Their training includes being sprayed and performing a number of tasks while coping with the effects.
U.S. Army photos by Bob McElroy
Learn more about USAG Fort A.P. Hill at :
Follow Fort A.P. Hill on Facebook:
More Than 250 Cricket Fans Surround Nelsons Column To Celebrate India Winning the Cricket World Cup. London, UK. 02/04/2011
Political artist Kaya Mar lampoons George Osborne on the Treasury Steps - London
On 04/10/2011 Political anti-War and anti-Cuts artist Kaya Mar displayed one of his many politically satirical oil on canvas caricatures lampooning dictators, war-mongers and heads of state - in this instance a naked George Gideon Osborne, (Chancellor of the Exchequer, architect of the swingeing austerity cuts to public services) naked, exposed, with one foot clumsily jammed in a large mop bucket as he claims to be cleaning up someone else's mess - as he held a brief one-man vigil on the steps of The Treasury, hoping that George Osborne might exit the building, catch sight of the painting and throw in the towel.
Mr. Mar's presence caused a bit of a panic and a flap amongst Treasury staff who were clearly alarmed that his painting could rapidly bring down the entire government, so he was told to get off the steps and stand on the pavement instead, thus safeguarding Her majesty's Brittanic Government from satirical peril.
There were no arrests, although a passing elderly American tourist muttered "Oh my, now THAT's disrespectful", before taking a photo of the painting, with a big grin on her face. Another man muttered something darkly about abolishing all money and waved a pamphlet around before vanishing across the road and into St. James' Park, but despite this flagrant act of sedition there was still no sign of a police van.
Kaya's work can be seen at www.kayamar.co.uk, which is in the process of being re-designed - and is on permanent display at the Museum of London and the Imperial War Museum.
London, United Kingdom. 04/10/2011
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
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit 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 or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
I discovered this location while driving to the franco-cypriot school in Nicosia, Cyprus. These are governmental buildings next to the police academy. The complex is to be destroyed in the near future. I was interested in catching the effects of time on official government owned buildings.
Hired "thug" posing as security guard tries to grab my camera while standing in a public street outside the "Mailbox" complex. Sun 3 Aug 2008. Birmingham, England.
See the following link for further unpleasant details:
www.flickr.com/groups/manchesteruk/discuss/72157606564972...
Female security officers are drilled in Lhasa, Tibet, China. Security is maintained at a high level in Tibet that was "colonized" by the Chinese in 1951. The spiritual leader of all Tibetans the Dalai Lama lives in excile in India.
16 Jul 2006
Picture by Richard Jones/Sinopix
A security officer (or security guard) is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed civilian personnel. Security officers are generally uniformed and act to protect property by maintaining a high visibility presence to deter illegal and inappropriate actions, observing (either directly, through patrols, or by watching alarm systems or video cameras) for signs of crime, fire or disorder; then taking action and reporting any incidents to their client and emergency services as appropriate.
More Than 250 Cricket Fans Surround Nelsons Column To Celebrate India Winning the Cricket World Cup. London, UK. 02/04/2011
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit 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 or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit 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 or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
a photo of our flag.... Apparently the "rent a cops" (i.e. security guards), were informed that someone was taking photos. In Parkersburg, it is apparently probable cause to harass you for taking pictures under the guise of "it is a federal building." When I informed him I was an attorney and was just killing time before a magistrate court mediation. I then asked him when it became a crime to photograph a public building in a public place, he merely stated "Well, it's a federal building" and he had someone complain. When he asked who I was, I probably shouldn't have told him. These asshats actually called the magistrate court to verify that I was an attorney and was in town for a hearing. When I got back over to Magistrate Court, the receptionist informed me that they actually called her, and thought it was a hoot, but she did vouch for me (and joked that maybe she should have told them no, never heard of him to see what would happen). Next time I'm not telling them shit, to see what they do. I guess big white guys carrying briefcases and cameras scare the federal workers in Parkersburg. This is what I get for having the gall to be early to a town for my magistrate court mediation (also a big waste of time) in Wood County, and the audacity to think I was free to walk around the public square and take 20 pictures.
Apparently this type of harassment is commonplace in certain areas, although Parkersburg is the only place in WV I have ever experienced such harassment. My collection of photos, constituting literally thousands of photos of buildings, courthouse, and public and private buildings of all types in this flickr account, no doubt indicates I have photographed extensively. Yet Parkersburg remains an anomaly as the only place this amateur photographer and architecture buff has ever been harassed in this manner. I would hate to see what would happen to a minority individual who dared to take photographs in this area. Through internet research, it appears such overzealous and uncalled for harassment of similar individuals does occur frequently in some "hot spots" where apparently the public officials are very poorly versed on public relations, the law, and the constitution. Apparently, many of these cite a dated DHS "memorandum" defining suspicious activity as their basis for "laws against photography." Unfortunately, someone also needs to educate these people that a DHS memorandum does not have the force and effect of law.
A cool security guard at Fairway. We stood next to each other for nearly a half hour (me taking pictures) and didn't speak. Then he turned just enough for me to take his picture - so I did, but still, neither of us acknowledged the other. We each had jobs to do.
Political artist Kaya Mar lampoons George Osborne on the Treasury Steps - London
On 04/10/2011 Political anti-War and anti-Cuts artist Kaya Mar displayed one of his many politically satirical oil on canvas caricatures lampooning dictators, war-mongers and heads of state - in this instance a naked George Gideon Osborne, (Chancellor of the Exchequer, architect of the swingeing austerity cuts to public services) naked, exposed, with one foot clumsily jammed in a large mop bucket as he claims to be cleaning up someone else's mess - as he held a brief one-man vigil on the steps of The Treasury, hoping that George Osborne might exit the building, catch sight of the painting and throw in the towel.
Mr. Mar's presence caused a bit of a panic and a flap amongst Treasury staff who were clearly alarmed that his painting could rapidly bring down the entire government, so he was told to get off the steps and stand on the pavement instead, thus safeguarding Her majesty's Brittanic Government from satirical peril.
There were no arrests, although a passing elderly American tourist muttered "Oh my, now THAT's disrespectful", before taking a photo of the painting, with a big grin on her face. Another man muttered something darkly about abolishing all money and waved a pamphlet around before vanishing across the road and into St. James' Park, but despite this flagrant act of sedition there was still no sign of a police van.
Kaya's work can be seen at www.kayamar.co.uk, which is in the process of being re-designed - and is on permanent display at the Museum of London and the Imperial War Museum.
London, United Kingdom. 04/10/2011
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
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit 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 or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit 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 or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit 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 or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
I discovered this location while driving to the franco-cypriot school in Nicosia, Cyprus. These are governmental buildings next to the police academy. The complex is to be destroyed in the near future. I was interested in catching the effects of time on official government owned buildings.
I discovered this location while driving to the franco-cypriot school in Nicosia, Cyprus. These are governmental buildings next to the police academy. The complex is to be destroyed in the near future. I was interested in catching the effects of time on official government owned buildings.
FORT A.P. HILL, Va. – Three new security guards learned the power of pepper spray May 1 as part of their training here.
The Fort A.P. Hill Directorate of Emergency Services recently hired Joseph Figert, Jerry Mensah and Shasta Williams to be its first new security guards.
Their training includes being sprayed and performing a number of tasks while coping with the effects.
U.S. Army photos by Bob McElroy
Learn more about USAG Fort A.P. Hill at :
Follow Fort A.P. Hill on Facebook:
G4S security guard assaults photographer Jess Hurd while she is filming from public land.
G4S private police leave the Olympic site to assault and harrass photographers working from public land. Olympic Park Saturday April 21, 2012
Security guard holding back both traffic and onlookers whilst filming was taking place for the forthcoming Sky One political drama "COBRA" - New Brighton Promenade, Wirral.
The drama deals with an unfolding emergency that threatens to engulf the country as the COBRA committee fights to ensure the protection of the people of Great Britain.
Drama stars Robert Carlyle, Victoria Hamilton, Anna Marshall, Fraser Walker and Lucy Cohu amongst others.
I discovered this location while driving to the franco-cypriot school in Nicosia, Cyprus. These are governmental buildings next to the police academy. The complex is to be destroyed in the near future. I was interested in catching the effects of time on official government owned buildings.
The caption on the back of this photo shares the handwriting of its Flickr page neighbor (the girl with the salmon). It is captioned "Jeff W. in his uniform as guard at Mall 205 Dec. 71." I have retracted his last name for the sake of his privacy. Presumably, Jeff and Vivian are standing in front of the same house. Is Jeff W. related to the photographer? I think it's more likely that he's a local neighbor, as the photographer used his last name in the caption. You don't use the full name when you're writing a photo caption about someone who is related to you. Mall 205 is a large mall in east Portland, Oregon. According to Wikipedia, the mall opened in 1970. The site formerly belonged to Morningside Hospital, which closed in 1968. I need to ask the Mall 205 Target employees if they've had an hospital ghost encounters.
Political artist Kaya Mar lampoons George Osborne on the Treasury Steps - London
On 04/10/2011 Political anti-War and anti-Cuts artist Kaya Mar displayed one of his many politically satirical oil on canvas caricatures lampooning dictators, war-mongers and heads of state - in this instance a naked George Gideon Osborne, (Chancellor of the Exchequer, architect of the swingeing austerity cuts to public services) naked, exposed, with one foot clumsily jammed in a large mop bucket as he claims to be cleaning up someone else's mess - as he held a brief one-man vigil on the steps of The Treasury, hoping that George Osborne might exit the building, catch sight of the painting and throw in the towel.
Mr. Mar's presence caused a bit of a panic and a flap amongst Treasury staff who were clearly alarmed that his painting could rapidly bring down the entire government, so he was told to get off the steps and stand on the pavement instead, thus safeguarding Her majesty's Brittanic Government from satirical peril.
There were no arrests, although a passing elderly American tourist muttered "Oh my, now THAT's disrespectful", before taking a photo of the painting, with a big grin on her face. Another man muttered something darkly about abolishing all money and waved a pamphlet around before vanishing across the road and into St. James' Park, but despite this flagrant act of sedition there was still no sign of a police van.
Kaya's work can be seen at www.kayamar.co.uk, which is in the process of being re-designed - and is on permanent display at the Museum of London and the Imperial War Museum.
London, United Kingdom. 04/10/2011
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
Political artist Kaya Mar lampoons George Osborne on the Treasury Steps - London
On 04/10/2011 Political anti-War and anti-Cuts artist Kaya Mar displayed one of his many politically satirical oil on canvas caricatures lampooning dictators, war-mongers and heads of state - in this instance a naked George Gideon Osborne, (Chancellor of the Exchequer, architect of the swingeing austerity cuts to public services) naked, exposed, with one foot clumsily jammed in a large mop bucket as he claims to be cleaning up someone else's mess - as he held a brief one-man vigil on the steps of The Treasury, hoping that George Osborne might exit the building, catch sight of the painting and throw in the towel.
Mr. Mar's presence caused a bit of a panic and a flap amongst Treasury staff who were clearly alarmed that his painting could rapidly bring down the entire government, so he was told to get off the steps and stand on the pavement instead, thus safeguarding Her majesty's Brittanic Government from satirical peril.
There were no arrests, although a passing elderly American tourist muttered "Oh my, now THAT's disrespectful", before taking a photo of the painting, with a big grin on her face. Another man muttered something darkly about abolishing all money and waved a pamphlet around before vanishing across the road and into St. James' Park, but despite this flagrant act of sedition there was still no sign of a police van.
Kaya's work can be seen at www.kayamar.co.uk, which is in the process of being re-designed - and is on permanent display at the Museum of London and the Imperial War Museum.
London, United Kingdom. 04/10/2011
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
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.
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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