PHOTOGRAPHING CONFRONTATION.

Some excellent advice from Teacher Dude's Grill and BBQ.

        With clashes in Spain and especially in Madrid growing in intensity I thought I'd post a few pointers to those photographers who want to cover riots and other such turbulent events. Since 2005 I have recorded, dozens of violent confrontations here in Greece and I hope that these pointers will help keep you safe.

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A GREEK CITY'S FIRST GAY PRIDE PARADE.

        This weekend Thessaloniki held its first ever Gay Pride parade. Naturally the Greek Orthodox Church was in a state of panic, how could this happen in their Greece. The local Bishop from the Greek Orthodox Church, Bishop Anthimo blew his trumpet rallying the faithful to come on to the streets to show their anger. Well about 30 did in contrast to the approximately 2000 who marched in support. The Greek Orthodox Church pokes its fingers into all aspects of Greek life, It's good to see signs of the influence diminishing. Though I personally think there is still a long way to go. Congratulations to the people of Thessaloinki.

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TIME FOR RIGHTEOUS ANGER.

      What does the financial Mafia's "deficit" reduction mean to ordinary people? In just a matter of a couple of years decent ordinary hard working people in Greece have been reduced to begging on the streets. This photo from Teacher Dude's Grill and BBQ, captures something horrifying in so much that it looks like a clean proud family, ashamed of their situation but forced to beg to support themselves and their family. There is no need for their shame, it is anger that they should be displaying. The have a genuine claim to righteous anger.

TIME FOR RIGHTEOUS ANGER

We talk of justice, we ooze compassion

you and I. Our comfort sure

with a gracious smile a token give

those "SO deserving poor".

Where is compassion when children lose

carefree innocent play,

where is justice when children meet

hunger along the way

Children who, in this world of excess

create a newsreel scene

cradled in a starving mother's arms

expiring on your TV screen.

Forget the famine rationale

in a sickly syrup word,

mouthed by those crazy apes

until the truth is blurred.

Feel the anguish of the other

hear their pitiful cry

see the hunger steal their future;

loudly cry out,  why?

Then act out your righteous anger

fan the passions flame,

create a world of social justice

end this human shame.

 

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SHY POLITICIANS!!!

         I suppose the one good thing that has come out of the IMF (International Mankind Fuckers) impoverishment of the Greek people is the fact that the mainstream Greek politicians can't show their faces in public. At the approach of an election this makes it difficult for them. 

This from Teacher Dude's Grill and BBQ.

As an MP I served the people well and still they don't like me!

Or Far From the Madding Crowd as perhaps the elections should be named, considering the fact that few, if any of the members of the coalition government are able to campaign in public. Instead of the mass rallies that usually mark elections in Greece, both PASOK and New Democracy politicians have been careful to hold meetings behind closed doors with just the party faithful present.

With just two weeks to go the national election campaign has been so low key as to be considered to be virtually non-existent,. No election centres have been set up and campaign billboards and handouts are nowhere to be seen. This is partly a financial matter as the two main parties owe 240 million euros and only last week did they manage to pass legislation to reschedule their debts (a privilege they ruled out for lesser mortals, or voters as they are know locally).Instead of a country plastered in posters and drowning in flyers PASOK and New Democracy have reserved their efforts for TV talk shows and the internet. Both choices are problematic; TV has been shedding viewers for years, especially among the young and more educated and social media is not a comfortable environment for politicians unused to debating with voters except on their own terms. Indeed their ham fisted attempts to replicate traditional electoral methods online have been met with derision and biting humour by Greek language bloggers and Twitter users.

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