Saturday see protesters across the globe demonstrate against the Israeli invasion of Gaza. I happened to be in the Bristol when I came across a "die-in" outside various shops in the Broadmead shopping centre.
The idea of those involved was to bring to wider public attention to the fact that some stores have strong economic ties with Israel and are, according to anti - war organisations helping the war effort.
Showing posts with label England. Show all posts
Showing posts with label England. Show all posts
Monday, January 19, 2009
Protests in Bristol over Gaza
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Fire on College Green
A cigarette carelessly discarded outside a bar led to a blaze which consumed the top two floors of the Greenhouse pub on College Green, Bristol. The resulting fire which started at approximately 3.30pm, required five crews to put it out.
Nobody was injured in the fire, however, the building suffered extensive damage.
Actually, I got there just after the fire crews arrived and before the police and the media. So, in a sense this is a first. Click here to see what the BBC said.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Amidst golds and glory Tibet protest continue
Amidst an upsurge in nationalism brought on by the British Olympic team's continuing success media criticism of China's on going crack down on Tibetan protesters has faded from TV screens and front pages. However, Tibetans in the UK have continued their attempts to keep the issue of Chinese repression in what Beijing calls the Tibetan Autonomous Region in the public eye.
Yesterday Tibetan and British demonstrators marched from the Chinese embassy in London to Downing Street, the official residence of the British prime minister, Gordon Brown, where they handed in a petition calling upon Brown to urge Beijing to halt its bloody crack down inside Tibet and find a peaceful solution to the issue of the country's future.
In Bristol, south west England protestors held their own mock Olympics in the centre of the city in order to bring attention to a side of modern China, the communist regime would rather the world forgot at a time when the country is hosting the Games.
Tibetan forced to flee their country told of their struggle to protets and the reprisals they risk from the Chinese police for even the most beneign of protest gestures such as putting up posters. Tashi, who fled to neighbouring Nepal in 2007 and then England told of his own personal story when he narrowly escaped arrest for protesting the Chinese occupation of his country. His friend, whowever, was not so lucky and was caught and has not been heard from since.
Nor is this an isolated incident, according to Amnesty International more than 1000 protestors arrested during protests earlier this year in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet have not been accounted for. Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific director sam Zarifi was reported as saying that the situation in Tibet was "a dire picture of arbitrary detentions and abuse of detainees".
Despite making commitments to the IOC when winning the Olympic Games in 2001 to improve its human rights record China has continued to harrass, arrest and detain critics of its regime. Most recently, Independent Television News reporter John Ray was detained and reportedly physically abused by Chinese police for trying to cover a Free Tibet protest near the Olympic Bird's Nest stadium. Similarly, Tibetans protesting in Bristol spoke of China failing to live up to their pre - Olympic commitments concerning press freedom in Tibet itself, saying that the level of repression had increased in the run up to the Games and that contact with the country had been made extremely difficult for those living outside Tibet.
Tags: China protests Beijing World england Bristol Gordon Brown ITN tibet free tibet olympic games john ray
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Free Tibet
The Mock Olympics held on College Green, Bristol today to protest Chinese occupation of Tibet.
www.tibetsociety.com 020 7272 1414
www.freetibet.org 020 734 4605
www.tibetanyouthuk.org 07725 501 995
www.sftuk.org 07919 661 609
Friday, August 15, 2008
Tibetans protests Chinese occupation
There will be a protest and fun events on College Green, Bristol, this Saturday, 16th August, 1pm till 4pm.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Lydia and Maisie.
It was off to the zoo for me, Lydia and her cousin, Maisie. taken advantage of a brief window of good weather we spent the day looking at lions, seals and ferrets.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Lydia and balloon
At the Bristol Balloon Fiesta today. It's so hard to impress kids these days. Actually, we both had a great time. See here for the story I wrote about the event for NowPublic.com
Friday, August 08, 2008
All the fun of the fair
There are some days when so many weird and wonderful things happen you don't know where to begin. As yesterday was the start of the 30th annual Bristol Balloon Fiesta (click her for more details) I decided to have a day out with my camera and eventually wind up there for the 6pm take off. On my way however, I managed to come across stuff both beautiful and bizarre.
I was going through Bedminster on the bus when I saw this guy, literally covered in pigeons so I rang the bell jumped off and rushed back to take his picture.
Next as I was drinking coffee on Corn St I saw these cops giving the guy on the steps a hard time. I'm not sure why as he wasn't doing anything illegal or disruptive. Simply resting.
As part of my 100 Strangers project on Flickr I sometimes go up to people and ask if I could take their photograph. As I had already had success with the guy with the birds in Bedminster I thought I'd ask this woman busking. She said yes and told me that she is travelling around the south of England busking and playing gigs. Click here to listen to her music on her Myspace page. Brooke Sharkey is playing at the Blue Lagoon, Bristol on the 9th August.
Next it was onto the Bristol Balloon Fiesta at Ashton Court and to tell you the truth I wanted to get as close as possible in order to take photos of what happens before the balloons lift off so I blagged my way through the cordoned off area saying I was looking for the Press Office to get my credentials. Naughty but fun. As I was passing this balloon the pilot asked me if I wanted to take some pictures which was great. That reminds me I have to send off a bunch of emails to the people I photographed as I promised I'd send them pictures.
Somebody told me the guys in the balloon were part of a famous band so I thought I'd take their picture just for the hell of it. Click here to find out more about Blake. The guy on the right, for those of you not living in the Bristol area is a local anchorman.
That evening was the monthly get together of the Bristol Flickr group and thankfully even though I went to the wrong pub I bumped into another Flickrer and so didn't miss anything.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Nic Dartnell
I had just my finished my shopping when I went into the Grant Bradley gallery for a coffee. Nic was creating a sand painting so I went up and asked if I could take his picture as he worked.
http://www.nicdartnell.com/
‘SAND’PAINTING EXHIBITION at the Grant Bradley Gallery - Bedminster - Bristol 2008
‘EARTH & SKY ‘ Navajo dry-paintings - 1st – 30th August- Nic Dartnell
Preview Thursday 7th August- open to the public. 6-8 pm
Public Lecture Saturday 30th August: Nic Dartnell will be hosting a public lecture at the Grant Bradley Gallery. For more information on how to book your place please contact the gallery.
Email: rebecca@grantbradleygallery.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)117 9637673
Tickets cost £4 / £3 concessions.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Yesterday
The Slow at the Cascade Stage
Nuala and the Alchemy Quartet at the Amphitheatre stage.
The Martha Graham Company duet
Ruth Royall at the Cascade Stage
The She Creatures after their gig at the Amphitheatre stage.
Highlights of the Bristol Harbour Festival. I thought I'd put up some pictures and links of the bands and other artists that I saw over the last few days that I enjoyed the most. As the festival was so large and encompassed so many different stages and types of performances I only got the chance to see a fraction of what was on offer.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Bristol Harbour Festival 2008 - bread and circuses?
"The city's 37th annual Harbour Festival takes place from 1-3 August and this year there's even more dance - with three stages at the Dance Village bringing dance styles from all over the world - music events carry on later into the evening, and spill into nearby indoor venues, and singer Beth Rowley takes to the stage in her home city."
However, not everyone was happy with EDF's attempt at the 21st century version of bread and cicuses.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Down and Out In Bristol and Who Knows Where?
"If one looks closely one sees that there is no essential difference between a beggar's livelihood and that of numberless respectable people. Beggars do not work, it is said; but then, what is work? A navvy works by swinging a pick. An accountant works by adding up figures. A beggar works by standing out of doors in all weathers and getting varicose veins, chronic bronchitis, etc. It is a trade like any other; quite useless, of course - but then, many reputable trades are quite useless."
(George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London)
Inspired by Robert Frank
I recently bought a book that I have been looking for since I first heard about it last year. Robert Frank's, The Americans.
"The Americans, by Robert Frank, was a highly influential book in post-war American photography. It was first published in France in 1958, and the following year in the United States. The photographs were notable for their distanced view of both high and low strata of American society. The book as a whole created a complicated portrait of the period that was viewed as skeptical of contemporary values and evocative of ubiquitous loneliness."
I've been trying, as I so often do, to put some of the atmosphere of the book into my own photographs. Once again I am limited by the fact I'm not free to roam a continent, or even a country for that matter but still I feel there is plenty to see on your own door step, if you look hard enough.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Airbourne
I was walking down by the docks when I saw this guy practicing a long, difficult jump so I asked if I could watch and take pictures. Thankfully, he said yes.
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