Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Save Union Square 2008

I've uploaded some of my images from today's protest/rally at Union Square. I haven't gotten the blogging thing down yet and forgot to post them in reverse order.....sorry. The way they are posted it seems rather anti-climactic. This was my first time photographing anything political. It was strangely liberating and refreshing. I was totally unafraid and was focused only on the task at hand- photographing the event.

The protest was put on by Reverend Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping (www.revbilly.com). They were last seen in the Morgan Spurlock film titled 'What Would Jesus Buy?'. They are protesting the privatization of public spaces in NYC. Currently there is a lot of construction going on in Union Square. It turns out that a private corporation is trying to build a high-end restaurant in the historic pavilion that has played host to many political speakers and radical thinkers. Public space is disappearing at a rapid rate. More traffic lanes are being added for cars and pedestrian/public space is being eliminated. Did you know that the first Labor Day was celebrated here? Read about Union Square here: www.nycgovparks.org.

What I found interesting is that many NYC dwellers that stopped to talk had NO IDEA that a restaurant was being built on this historic site. Almost all were upset by the idea and vowed to do something about it.



Some observers were very serious....




Some were working.......
while others were having a good time.

1 comment:

Gogolab said...

I do like the contrast, in your last picture, with the Rev. Billy who are listening carefully what's the other guy is saying. However, at that moment, the other take a funny posture. You took a good instant and I think it represent the atmosphere of Union Square this day.