[Leica] Nathan's PAD 29/11/2017: around Berlaymont

[Nathan Wajsman]

On Wednesday around lunchtime I took a brief walk around the EU quarter before I had to head for the airport to fly to Stockholm. On the Schuman roundabout, I happened upon a demonstration-this is a frequent occurrence, as this square, surrounded by the main EU institutions, is a favourite spot for political activity of this sort. This time it was a demo to protest the treatment of the Rohingya by the Burmese government:
http://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-rkHtxrc/A

Most of the participants were Bangladeshi Muslims. Some were local, but many (most, I think) had come to Brussels from other European countries, principally the UK but also Germany and France, to stage this demonstration. It was all peaceful and dignified, although I was struck by the complete absence of women. The elderly man on the right in the high-viz vest was very friendly and invited me to take as many photos as I wanted:
http://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-9NswSgb/A
Incidentally, our Brussels Liaison Office, my workplace when I am in town, is in the building on the right side of this image.

On the other side of Berlaymont, the huge building that houses the European Commission, is a reminder of what has been achieved, despite all the problems the world faces, and also of the trans-Atlantic ties that once bound us together but that are being undermined by the current regime in Washington. A piece of the Berlin Wall, enclosed in glass to protect it from the Brussels weather, with wall art depicting John F. Kennedy:
http://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-59gW5br/A

I found the juxtaposition quite moving, but of course I am a direct beneficiary of the West’s victory in the Cold War, having been born on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain.

Cheers,
Nathan

Nathan Wajsman
Alicante, Spain
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