In The Picture
The People’s Assembly, Protest the Tory Party Conference, Manchester, October 4, 2015.
The faces of protest . . . John Comino-James captures two years of political demonstrations in Britain
J
ohn Comino-James has been photographing demonstrations in the UK over the past two years, from the 2015 general election through to the 2016 EU referendum. In his new book, Shout It Loud, Shout It Clear, Comino-James offers extensive photographic evidence of the astonishing breadth of causes that are embraced by British protestors. These include climate change, the replacement of Trident nuclear missiles, the refugee crisis, the government’s austerity policies, detention of prison30 ColdType | February 2017 | www.coldtype.net
ers at Guantanamo Bay, Israeli policy towards Palestinians, Chinese repressions in Tibet, Saving the Bee, and Fracking. The list is seemingly endless and, whether the protest involves small groups of campaigners or marches numbering tens of thousands, the anger and indignation of the protesters brings passion and commitment to the streets. Yet, many of these protests pass unacknowledged in the mainstream media. We may pride ourselves that it is the mark of a civiTo Page 34 lised community that it can accommodate