Protect the Statues London 13-06-2020
Protesters gather in Westminster.
Yesterday I attended the ''Protect our Monuments'' Gathering in Central London. First of all, I don't really know how to express what the f**ck actually went on. I was shocked and saddened with the hate, anger, racism, and sexism that I saw whilst documenting the day. May I add before I go on that not everyone I met was not in fact like this, there where many patriots and normal people who only wanted to protect the statues. Some of these guys I spoke to genuinely stated that they get miffed when their own side decides to get smashed and end up starting on each other, making everyone look bad.
A man who discharged himself from A&E after relapsing was riding his wheelchair through the protestors.
This was pretty much the first ''Away day'' that the majority of the Football firms in London and if not the Uk had been a part of in a long time. I genuinely felt as If I had walked straight onto the set of a 1990s football hooligan film. They showed out in masses swearing, drinking, threatening people, and also openly drug-taking whilst protecting the statue of Churchill.
An ex Veteran and his friend who traveled down from Manchester to show their support.
When some of the crowds decided to relocate to ''protect'' they marched towards Trafalgar Square. En route, I saw a guy on a moped who was started on for purely trying to ride through. I actually got threatened 4 times for being a ''grass'' only because I had my camera. A heated conversation started between me and a lovely gentleman after he said he would ''throw me in the water'' because I wanted to document the day and he really couldn't get into his brain why?
I went on to explain to him that this is history taking place at this very moment and that It needed to be documented and if anything he should have agreed that he would want to be a part of his own history.
A police horse in Westminster.
Once they arrived at Trafalgar square things escalated pretty quick and it got locked in with only people being allowed to get out. Tensions were extremely high and the marchers who couldn't get into Trafalgar were looking for a fight. In the Images below you can see a group chasing down and attempting to kick some young lads who were on the opposing side. After being funneled through different areas of Central London they decided to stampede themselves towards the police to try and get through to Trafalgar Square which obviously didn't work. This then led to more of them breaking off and going to different locations, some heading through Hyde park and trying to link back to Westminster.
Riot police outside The National Gallery
Police under Nelsons Column
Yesterday shocked me. I was so surprised in the turn out and how there is another side to this. How deranged the majority of these groups were and how some would threaten anyone in their way. What also saddens me is how many of the younger generations were part of it. You would have thought with social media and the internet being so accessible that it may have had an impact on their ideas, which it obviously hasn't.
Protestors heading towards the Police who cordoned off Trafalgar Square.
Riot police form a line after protesters charged. You can see an officer trying to reassure an upset colleague.
In a time when we should all be unifying with each other for a greater cause this certainly was not the case. It was the polar opposite of the Black Lives Matter protests that I have been a part of and seen over these past few weeks.
We need to concentrate our time on the New Generation of children, eradicating racism and unifying as one.
Police sweep past protestors protecting a monument.