Demonstration today in London...
I went to the Anti-Trident demonstration in London today to take some pictures, which attracted thousands of people (and photographers). It quickly turned into an anti-Iraq-war, ‘Don’t attack Iran’, ‘Free Palestine’, even ‘anti Gate Gourmet’ and ‘stop climate change’ demonstration. Seems it is all intertwined these days (I overheard one of the demonstrators saying to the other in slight disbelief: ‘Are we doing climate change today as well?’).
I could sympathise with the main theme though. No prizes for guessing that I was and am firmly against the war in Iraq. It was morally and ethically wrong in the first place and was started for the wrong (fabricated) reasons. The US (and the UK) created a big mess not only in Iraq but also in the whole of the Middle East as a consequence. And one can only listen in disbelief to Bush and Blair these days. How arrogantly and hypocritically they are still defending the Iraq war and their course of actions. Both the Bush and Blair regime will go down in history as one of the most morally and ethically bankrupt governments in the history of both countries. I could go on…
But that is not my point. I was not an objective observer who took pictures. I clearly had a stance standing among these demonstrators. I clearly sympathised with them. Which brought me back to a lecture we had this week with Tom Hunter who distinctly told us that he is a propagandist with his documentary photography, he has an agenda and attempts to convey it with his images. So where is the objective photojournalist, the balanced and unbiased investigator? Does she/he exist?
And I leave you with another question. I also recorded some ambient sound today while I was marching among the demonstrators. Some of it came out quite well. What do I do with it? What is the right way/medium to present it? Will anyone listen to it in isolation or is it only interesting as part of a visual slideshow?
I could sympathise with the main theme though. No prizes for guessing that I was and am firmly against the war in Iraq. It was morally and ethically wrong in the first place and was started for the wrong (fabricated) reasons. The US (and the UK) created a big mess not only in Iraq but also in the whole of the Middle East as a consequence. And one can only listen in disbelief to Bush and Blair these days. How arrogantly and hypocritically they are still defending the Iraq war and their course of actions. Both the Bush and Blair regime will go down in history as one of the most morally and ethically bankrupt governments in the history of both countries. I could go on…
But that is not my point. I was not an objective observer who took pictures. I clearly had a stance standing among these demonstrators. I clearly sympathised with them. Which brought me back to a lecture we had this week with Tom Hunter who distinctly told us that he is a propagandist with his documentary photography, he has an agenda and attempts to convey it with his images. So where is the objective photojournalist, the balanced and unbiased investigator? Does she/he exist?
And I leave you with another question. I also recorded some ambient sound today while I was marching among the demonstrators. Some of it came out quite well. What do I do with it? What is the right way/medium to present it? Will anyone listen to it in isolation or is it only interesting as part of a visual slideshow?
posted by rupert beagle at 6:56 pm
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