Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/04/19

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Demonstration/ WAS Welcome...
From: "Steve LeHuray" <icommag@toad.net>
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 20:01:28 -0500

> on 4/19/01 6:09 PM, Steve LeHuray at icommag@toad.net wrote:
> 
>> ......and I agree with the reasons for your interest in this global politic,
>> it is just after having done numerous demonstrations, peaceful and otherwise
>> I was trying to point out the pictures may look similiar to the May Day
>> demonstration you did in London last year.

Johnny Deadman replied:
>
> or... they may not... since my reasons for photographing this have a lot to
> do with insights I've gained since then.

......and should you go, I would be interested in hearing and seeing the
results. Life would be easier for this with press credentials.
>>
>> Also, this is not really Street Photography, so go if you want to protest
>> against the drift toward a one world government, leave your Leicas at home
>> because there will be thousands of demo photos taken by the news
>> organizations.
>
> There are modes of photographing momentous events which fall into neither
> category (street or news).

The problem with this thought, is, this is hardly a momentous event. Rather
it is another of many protests against globalization. At the best you will
be allowed to photograph on the outer perimeter. And a problem you will
face, should you show up there with a camera, is with the hardcore
demonstrators, who have become aware that the authorities have been placing
photographers within the demonstrations to try and identify them. If this is
going to be as nasty as has been reported, watch yourself. The other
likelihood is that not much will happen at all. After Seattle the authorites
have taken a very aggressive position towards quelling these kind of
demonstrations. The last big demonstration was is Washington, DC last April
and I saw first hand their tactics for the four days I photographed it. I
came close to being arrested (even with press credentials) several times,
and threatended often by the demonstrators.

By the time the Republican and Democrat conventions came around last summer
the police had pretty much figured out how to co-op the demonstrators. Same
thing with the George W Bush inaugeration this past January.

Good luck if you go and let us know what happened.

Steve
Annapolis