Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/05/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]This year I went with my 12-year old son to see the May Day demonstration in the centre of Zurich. The weather was nice, which made for a big turnout--Swiss revolutionaries hate rain...The official demo included all sorts of people, ranging from teachers' unions demanding more funding to the most extreme Trotskyite groups, plus an assortment of supporters of various foreign terrorist organisations (or liberation movements, depending on your politics). Local tradition dictates that following the end of the regular demo, anarchist groups battle it out with the police in the surrounding streets. Many shops are boarded up for obvious reasons, and as a precaution the McDonalds on the square where the demo finished was closed. I have quite a few pictures this week because I want to illustrate the variety of people that attend. My son kept asking me about the different groups, who they were, whether I supported them--quite educational, gave me the chance to explain that, for example, I recognise the legitimate grievances of the Turkish Kurds but do not accept the means employed by the PKK terrorists. Other groups, like Amnesty International, have my wholehearted support, while still others, like the various marxist-leninist fringes, I reject just as categorically. Anyway, here is the head of the demo with police at the ready in the background: http://www.wajsman.com/2002_18.jpg (This picture, as well as all the others to follow, taken with M6+35mm Summilux on Ilford Delta 100 developed in XTOL 1+3) Here is some Turkish guy (I think), reading what appeared to be quite a fiery (and loud!) speech: http://www.wajsman.com/2002_18alt1.jpg Amnesty International promoted workers' rights to organise in China: http://www.wajsman.com/2002_18alt2.jpg The local office of the Swiss National Bank had hired private guards, but things were calm at that point and they had not much to do: http://www.wajsman.com/2002_18alt3.jpg The demo ended at Bahnhofplatz, and police were out in force to guard the entrance to the main station (which also contains a shopping centre): http://www.wajsman.com/2002_18alt4.jpg The only sign of vandalism I saw was this anti-fascist graffiti outside McDonalds: http://www.wajsman.com/2002_18alt5.jpg Being the world's only superpower means that the U.S. is a target of protest by all kinds of kooks, like this guy with a GWB mask and his own version of Stars and Stripes: http://www.wajsman.com/2002_18alt6.jpg The nice man with his Che Guevara banner was happy to pose for the well-dressed elderly lady who wanted a snap of real Commie: http://www.wajsman.com/2002_18alt7.jpg Finally, three shots at the end of the demo, of anarchist types getting ready for the real action, which we skipped, as I had no desire to get myself, my son or my Leicas smashed, nor did I wish to sniff tear gas. These guys do not like to be photographed... http://www.wajsman.com/2002_18alt8.jpg http://www.wajsman.com/2002_18alt9.jpg http://www.wajsman.com/2002_18alt10.jpg The complete PAW index is at: http://www.wajsman.com/indexpaw2002.htm and comments and critique are always welcomed and appreciated. Nathan - -- Nathan Wajsman Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland e-mail: wajsman@webshuttle.ch mobile: +41 78 732 1430 Photo-A-Week: http://www.wajsman.com/indexpaw2002.htm General photo site: http://www.wajsman.com/index.htm - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html