On Saturday twenty fifth September 2010 I made a couple of photos whereas travelling round London to {photograph} some relatively assorted protests after which took a stroll primarily beside the Regent’s Canal in Shoreditch and Haggerston earlier than going dwelling.
My day in London started with a bus journey from Clapham Junction to Knightsbridge, the place round 80 Muslim ladies from Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain had include a letter to the French Ambassador protesting the French parliament resolution to ban face veils.
Though the ban prohibits all face coverings, it’s primarily aimed toward Muslim ladies who put on the niqab or burkha. Each had been then unusual in France outdoors of Paris and a few Mediterranean coast cities and a few estimate they had been solely worn by round 2000 of France’s 2-3 million Muslim ladies, most of whom, like the good majority of ladies on the protest put on headscarves relatively than face coverings.
Judging from the slogans, placards and speeches this was extra a protest towards ‘liberal values’ and “the objectification and sexualisation of ladies’s our bodies in pornography, lap-dancing golf equipment, promoting, and the leisure business, all permitted below the premise of freedom of expression and pushed by the pursuit of revenue in Western societies.”
The French ban appears an unlucky restriction of the rights of ladies to determine how they want to costume, however can also be a measure to oppose the ability of clerics and others to restrict the liberty of ladies by forcing them to put on face coverings, which appears to to be absolutely according to the French custom of liberty. And being a liberal and secular society doesn’t essentially imply giving free rein to the exploitation of ladies or others for revenue. We will oppose these with out desirous to impose the sort of restrictions on others that teams resembling Hizb Ut Tahrir advocate.
From Kensington I went on to Covent Backyard the place Professional-Palestinian demonstrators had been holding one other of their fortnightly demonstrations outdoors the Covent Backyard Ahava store which sells merchandise manufactured in an unlawful Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
As on earlier events their protest was met by a smaller counter-demonstration by supporters of the right-wing English Defence League (EDL) and Zionists. At earlier protests there had been some assaults by the EDL on the protesters, however whereas I used to be current they had been content material with shouting.
The Ahava protests are a part of a world ‘Stolen Magnificence’ marketing campaign organised by ‘Code Pink’, a women-initiated grass-roots peace and social justice motion which started when American ladies got here collectively to oppose the invasion of Iraq. They are saying that Ahava “has brazenly flouted tax necessities by exploiting the EU-Israel commerce settlement and violates UK DEFRA tips in respect of correct labelling.”
I walked all the way down to the Embankment, pausing to {photograph} a relatively tremendous Routemaster bus with classic promoting, and some boats participating within the ‘Nice River Race’. In Temple Place I met protesters from ‘Households Preventing For Justice’, members of households of homicide victims, who had been calling for harder sentences for homicide – with life sentences which means life imprisonment.
A few of the tales I heard from them had been actually heartbreaking and confirmed why many peculiar folks have misplaced religion in our justice system. Though I don’t really feel that their ‘Life 4 A Life’ marketing campaign would truly do a lot if something to unravel the issue, clearly some motion is known as for, each in enhancing baby safety by our social companies and in addition in how we regulate behaviour on our streets. A part of that is higher policing, however elevated spending on youth companies and group assist is important. As an alternative we acquired years of austerity reducing these and different important companies.
I left the march because it headed off in the direction of a rally in Waterloo Place; it was smaller than anticipated and police insisted they march on the pavement relatively than taking to the highway, which decreased its impression.
I used to be on my technique to Outdated Avenue the place the RMT and different unions had been holding a brief demonstration outdoors the Preliminary Rentokil Workplaces in Brunwick Place as the beginning of a marketing campaign towards the corporate’s union-busting actions in the direction of its cleansing workers.
The RMT say Preliminary Rentokil intimidates and bullies its members and intentionally employs employees whose immigration standing is uncertain in order that they will pay minimal wages and supply sub-standard working situations, usually requiring them to work with out correct security tools or precautions. They allege that employees who query their rights or try to organise have been reported to the immigration authorities who’ve then raided the office. The protest was additionally supported by members of Unite and Unison.
It was nonetheless earlier than 3pm when the rally ended and I made a decision to take a stroll earlier than going dwelling. I walked roughly north to the Regent’s Canal.
On the Haggerston Property I discovered flats bricked up as folks have been moved out to redevelop the property. They’re mentioned to be transferring again when new social housing is constructed – together with some at market costs.
Shoreditch and Haggerston had been each very a lot up and coming areas, with some costly flats beside the canal.
One of many causes to stroll this manner was to see a big artwork work on the lengthy block of flats by the canal, ‘I’m Right here’, one in all London’s largest artwork installations., with large portraits of the residents.
However I used to be additionally eager to {photograph} different buildings within the space, together with the Bridge Academy.
And, on Kinsgsland Street, the Suleymaniye Mosque.
Even when lastly I acquired on the 243 bus I used to be nonetheless taking photos, together with a relatively unhappy view of the previous Foundry, a energetic venue the place I had been to an incredible picture present not lengthy earlier than, now boarded up and lined with a large promoting hoarding,
Extra photos from my stroll and the protests on My London Diary:
Hizb ut-Tahrir Protest French Veil Ban
Protest Towards Unlawful Israeli Items
Households of Homicide Victims Name For Justice
Protest over Preliminary Rentokil Union Busting
Strolling Round London
Tags: ‘Households Preventing For Justice, Ahava, artwork set up, Bridge Academy, bullying, bus, Covent Backyard, EDL, flats, France, French embassy, Haggerston, hijab, Hizb Ut-Tahrir, Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, I’m Right here, unlawful Israeli settlements, immigration raids, immigration standing, Preliminary Rentokil, intimidation, Kensington, Knightsbridge, liberal values, Life 4 A Life, London, London Pictures, march, minimal wages, occupied Palestine, peter Marshall, protest, RMT, Routemaster, Shoreditch, Stolen Magnificence, Suleymaniye Mosque, The Foundry, commerce unions, union-busting, veil ban, classic bus, ladies, Zionists
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