Bankers’ Fools Day – G20 protests
April 1, 2009 11:33 pm All, Graffiti, London, ProtestsApril 1st, 2009
Square Mile, London (Financial district)
Today saw a number of protests taking place in the financial district (where I work! Don’t tell the protesters..). There were four ‘Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ marching from Moorgate, Liverpool Street, Cannon Street and London Bridge.
It was a weird day. We were all told to dress down so the City was full of people wearing jeans.
I headed for Liverpool Street Station.
The protest started out fairly tame.
One to full view:
The police formed a line and wouldn’t allow anyone to cross it.
He was chanting things like ‘fuck the bankers’.
At one point I think there may have been more photographers than protesters. I guess everyone got the same pictures?
The demonstrators marched to the Bank of England where all four protests converged.
The atmosphere was, on the whole quite friendly and upbeat, until the police decided to block off all the roads surrounding the area, so that no one could get in, or out. I saw a woman telling police that her son was in hospital and she had to see him, but they didn’t allow her to leave. There were people who managed to get caught up in the action accidentally and then couldn’t leave. Only those with Home Office-issues press passes (whatever those are) could exit the area. Even regular press passes wouldn’t do.
I clearly haven’t had enough practice shooting blindly!
RBS is not a popular bank.
This was the street leading to one of the RBS offices.
The riot police were really friendly towards me, but not so much to those with their faces covered.
Protesters smashed windows and trashed the offices as much as they could. Unfortunately I didn’t get many pictures of this. I’m not tall enough for riots, although I guess that means I can dodge flying bottles better.
What did Bono ever do?!
Protesting about the environment. The result? Trampled daffodils. Just a tad ironic?
Someone’s a bit bored.
This journalist or whoever he was, picked up a postcard, placed it on the wall, and then took pictures of it. Fake photojournalism?
Oh, well. I took advantage of it.
Billy Bragg provided some music:
A dictionary might have come in useful.
This man said his crystal ball depicted the Bank of England as it is – upside down!
Since people were essentially penned into the area, I guess the walls of the Bank of England were the only place to piss.
And for the girls:
Well that’s it for now. The City was a very odd place today. There were around 63 arrests today, and more disruption is planned tomorrow, when the G20 Summit actually takes place.
Let’s hope all of this makes a difference.


















































































James :
Date: April 1, 2009 @ 11:50 pm
http://tanya-n.com/G20/April1/IMG_8915.jpg – NOOOOOOOOOO
http://tanya-n.com/G20/April1/IMG_8926.jpg – I think this is the same guy I saw on a Channel 4 TV show to win a photography prize – four photographers were asked to do something related to photojournalism and one photographer went around putting up his own signs and taking photos of them. The judges were positive about it but I thought it was completely ridiculous.
Gaurav Patel :
Date: April 2, 2009 @ 12:29 am
Seriously, how many pictures did you take? I would have rather have seen a select few you and dump the rest on Flickr or something.
Anyway, from what I read on Twitter people were calling it far from a riot, people were apparently sun bathing?
I love http://tanya-n.com/G20/April1/IMG_8804.jpg and I managed to get Alex (that other bloke on TokBox last night) to believe these pictures are of James: http://tanya-n.com/G20/April1/IMG_8677.jpg and http://tanya-n.com/G20/April1/IMG_8714.jpg
Proof I have you in my Google Reader: http://img.skitch.com/20090401-rypstn98nx9tkhs62nj6ypi5rb.png
Ron :
Date: April 2, 2009 @ 2:24 am
Many Conservative and Libertarian Americans Agree With the G-20 Protests.
While most of the London and European protesters are from the far left, many working Americans feel the same about Washington’s excessive bailouts for Wall Street and the banking establishment. Washington has bailed out the banks, Wall Street & their Washington special interests and much of the cost is added to the national debt to by paid by this and future generations while real estate and investments continue to fall.
Find out how a growing repudiate the debt movement could stop Washington’s deficits, the exploding national debt and end the bailouts.
The Campaign to Cancel the Washington National Debt By 12/21/2012 Constitutional Amendment is starting now in the U.S.
See: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67594690498&ref=ts
Ron
Vaqas :
Date: April 2, 2009 @ 10:07 am
I’m totally moved!
gaudiramone :
Date: April 2, 2009 @ 12:18 pm
Great Photos!!!!!
Accidental Death of an Anarchist… « Back Towards The Locus :
Date: April 2, 2009 @ 3:04 pm
[...] was feeling faint“. Water was scarce and there were no toilet facilities, forcing people to piss in the streets… I was told by a police officer informed of my bad back that I’d ‘better [...]
James :
Date: April 2, 2009 @ 10:54 pm
After reading seeing your photographs I find myself wishing I lived in England.
ProPolice :
Date: April 3, 2009 @ 12:12 pm
Isn’t it great you live in a Capitalist country that allows you to take to the streets and whinge about the benefits you receive, most the great unwashed had no clue about an alternative to Capitalism (lets face it Communism is far from ideal – look at North Korea!). If you want to have adaquate toilet facilities, stay in your office and not join those intent on smashing things up!
ProPolice :
Date: April 3, 2009 @ 12:14 pm
Oh and well done to those that pushed the Police Medics back that were trying to tend to the heart attack victim – that was caught on camera and reported correctly!!!
JfromUS :
Date: April 5, 2009 @ 12:36 am
Impressed with your photos.
There must be some similarities with the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Arbitrary arrest–typically in conjuction with some cordon or containment zone–seems to be the tactic of the day.
I can’t help think of the Children of Men-type scenario. I hope y’all can learn to duck.
Fotoserien von den Protesten zum G20-Gipfel in London « Kreativrauschen :
Date: April 5, 2009 @ 7:53 pm
[...] Ausgleich zu diesen etwas sensationslustigen Bildern empfiehlt sich auch diese Bilderreihe von Tanya, die etwas ausgeglichener ist. Und was denkst [...]
forget the dictionary :
Date: April 5, 2009 @ 10:59 pm
your comment about the chalk writers needing a dictionary comes across entirely privileged and stuck up. you nationalistically neglect the presence of so many who come to the streets who don’t speak or write english as their native language. you also neglect the people who’ve had less access to education for whatever reason.
i get the impression that your commentary is supposed to be funny or ironic. you just come across as voyeuristic and snobby.
tanya.nagar :
Date: April 6, 2009 @ 7:17 am
Surely if you’re going to scrawl messages for the world to see (and let’s face it, there were enough cameras to capture practically everything), then you can attempt to spell somewhat correctly?
If you knew me personally, you’d know that spelling is important to me – not because my spelling is perfect and because everyone else should use a dictionary, but because it’s a basic reflection of yourself (to a degree). What impression does ‘money is for loozers’ and ‘drivon by greed powerered by fear’ give to the world? If you feel that makes me a snob, then so be it. If you don’t know how to spell something, why write it all over the wall? It really plays down the point the protester is trying to make, and I know for a fact I wasn’t the only one who found that amusing. The BBC also used typos in the graffiti as part of their report on the protests.
You’re right – perhaps the person who wrote that did not have English as a first language, or did not have an education or is even perhaps dyslexic. However, there was a high proportion of misspellings in the graffiti there, and let’s face it, being native English and having a sound education dusnt stp ppl frm ritin like dis. Sadly, foreigners often seem to have a better grasp of the English language, but I digress.
I can see your point, and to be honest, my comment about a dictionary was unnecessary, as the graffiti speaks for itself.
steve brown :
Date: April 6, 2009 @ 7:36 am
PROPOLICE – why bother saying anything with a name like that? What do you expect other than people just to automatically dismiss (rightly in any case) the childish drivel you splattered out of your keyboard? O and by the way, it now looks as if the police killed Mr.Tomlinson, the passer by wh died “of natural causes”. So, you’re totally in the shit now.
You waste.
steve brown :
Date: April 6, 2009 @ 7:41 am
Tanya.nagar – This was a major protest against a monumental ripoff of the working class by the rich elites that was systematically repressed and brutalised and then slandered by a craven media system that seeks to maintain the illusion that everything is well and getting better when millions are being thrown into unemployment and poverty, …and like what’s your contribution to the debate……”drivon is spelt ‘driven’ actually.” Your post was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve read for quite a while. btw, You’re not a snob, just quaint and out of touch.
tanya.nagar :
Date: April 6, 2009 @ 8:07 am
Steve,
Cheers for the comment and for your input.
You feel my contribution is solely to make the point that drivon is spelt driven? If so, then you have missed something along the line..
“Your post was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve read for quite a while” <– I actually laughed because I think your statement is so ridiculous. What, aside from my comment about a dictionary, did you find so ridiculous? Do you perhaps have any feedback on the photos themselves, or is it just the text you have issues with?
casualguest :
Date: April 8, 2009 @ 12:56 am
Tanya to be quite honest I think your report speaks volumes, the photos are moving in their innocence and so is your writing. The fact that you are not an activist and are not preaching actually portrays s clear reality snd one thst is the more convincing
Marcus :
Date: April 8, 2009 @ 6:59 am
Rock on Tanya. Your blog seems to be getting so famous you’re attracting trolls.
Green Climber on Bank of England :
Date: April 11, 2009 @ 2:14 am
Tanya your a star. best photojournalism that I’ve seen of the G20 by far.
I’m the one climbing the bank of england with the banners.
Did you see the video the other day of the copper who hit Ian Tomlinson take off his numbers and mask up. He seems to be putting his lapel numbers up his left sleive. It’s disappered from the Channel 4 website although it was there on the 9th April.
Keep up the reportage !
sandra742 :
Date: September 9, 2009 @ 2:34 pm
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. :) Cheers! Sandra. R.