Chris Gravett

I spent today with the N30 protest march and rally in London. I started in Archway where I'd left my car (around the corner from the small flat I'm trying to sell so I may have an income/pension!!!) I walked to various picket lines, including The Whittington Hospital where my grandson was born last month and my daughter had excellent care with a difficult birth (I'm relieved it was last month and not today!). I then joined strikers in Camden and made our way down to Lincoln Inn Fields to start the march to the Embankment.

I am compiling a series of images of Protest 2011, today's images will contribute to that project. In this blog I'll share just a few.

My first image is at the start point Lincoln Inn Fields. This image is the overiding image I have in my mind, every group taking part appeared to have over estimated the number of placards they would need. I have other images to this at the embankment later in the afternoon. I can only guess that the turnout was well short of expectations. The turnout was not easy to assess. If you took out the togs and tv crews, the children who would have been at school but for the strike, the wannabe anarchists and hangers on and the public who got swept up with things and had surplus placards thrustinto their hands I estimate that only 75% of those present were actually protesters. Those real protesters fell into two schools (excuse the pun). The minority, perhaps 40% of the 75% were obviously public sector workers and pensioners who were there obviously incensed by their current pension predicament. They were ordinary people, health workers, teachers etc. they had an axe to grind and did it in a dignified manner. The majority attending today were political activists with a broad range of issues, most against the current government and from what I could glean against and potential government our current system could offer. So the minority of what I estimate to be a poor turnout were actually protesting specifically about proposed public sector pension cuts. Perhaps that's why it crossed my mind that this protest paled against the student protests earlier this month. Well that's my observations but what I was there to do was record the culture in the UK of protest in 2011 through photography so here goes...

This is at the end of the rally with speeches from union leaders and Ken L. I think the image of the obvious father and son and their message is very strong. Well George?

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The number of photographers of every shape, size and genre was unbelievable. No wonderI'm not earning a lot!!!!

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I mentioned The Whittington Hospital earlier. My most recent experience of the national health was there - excellent beyond belief

emotionally I'd give them anything they want - I guess that's our dilemma.

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This guy seemed to be everywhere. I spoke to him to find out about him but he didn't communicate. Is he a public sector worker? pensioner?

or just a guy who got hold of a spare placard. I still don't know. Whatever he put a good shift in!

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Point taken luv!

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Lewisham pensioners at the end of the rally - some of the sincerest folk I met today.

Here I am balanced up a street sign in order to get an ariel view. It's all about differential focus not demos. Well I am a photography student!

Wear a Guido Fawkes mask at any protest today and you'll be sure to meet long lost relatives

Here he is again - this time in the front line - tell me he's not famous/infamous!

Another shot that's more about photography than the topic. Took me a while  to get this.

This is a characterture by Kaya Mar. An artist and I suspect entrepreneur, marketing himself very well indeed in the midst of an anti capitalism rally!

What a job he's doing. In the Metro and Guardian today and constantly at the forefront of today's march. It's ironic. 

Check him out here 

Some Cuts Never Heal

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