Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/05/07

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Subject: [Leica] Nathan's PAW 18: May Day in Zurich
From: Nathan Wajsman <wajsman@webshuttle.ch>
Date: Tue, 07 May 2002 13:59:33 +0200

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
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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


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