EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – 22.08.10. Around 200 environmental activists in white boiler suits and masks breach police lines at the Royal Bank of Scotland’s headquarters on Sunday 22 August 2010 in Gogarburn. Protesters smashed five large windows with hammers. Police made two arrests (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2010. All rights reserved.

“Climate Camp is restricting free speech” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.

I’ve written an article for Environment section of The Guardian on Climate Camp and the media.

“Israeli troops attack photographers in West Bank” – Agence France-Presse.

Photojournalist Fil Kaler has just emailed me this footage from the West Bank.

“Two Palestinian photojournalists were injured by Israel Defense Forces troops on Saturday during a protest in the southern West Bank town of Bait Ummar near Hebron.

“17/07/10 Bait Ummar, Occupied Palestine.”

“Marc Vallée Picture Library” – marcvallee.co.uk

My 2010 & 2009 protest pictures have now been re-edited and moved over to the new Marc Vallée Picture Library from Photoshelter. Enjoy.

“Coalition has no interest in protecting the right to strike” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.

Here is a Comment is free for Liberty Central by yours truly on the right to strike, civil liberties and press freedom. This Roy Greenslade piece is also worth taking a look at.

PART OF the 50,000 strong protest against the far right BNP in 1993 that took place in Welling, South East London after four racist murders, including that of Stephen Lawrence, within two miles of the BNP Headquarters. Published here by kind permission of Paul Mattsson. (c) Paul Mattsson, 1993.

Video: “Inside the closed ranks of Scotland Yard’s top secret deep infiltration squad” – Tony Thompson and Shehani Fernando, The Observer.

“Undercover policeman reveals how he infiltrated UK’s violent activists” – Tony Thompson, The Observer.

“Inside the lonely and violent world of the Yard’s elite undercover unit” – Tony Thompson, The Observer.

“Police or provocateurs?” – Hannah Sell, The Guardian.

Hannah Sell, Youth Against Racism in Europe (YRE) national secretary 1992-96, has written an excellent rebuttal on Comment is Free of The Observer allegations that the YRE was a violent extremist group.

Apart from that fundamental error, the investigation by Tony Thompson about police infiltration of the YRE in the 90’s is still interesting and worth a look.

What the front page investigation did not reveal was that “Officer A” of the *Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) also targeted and infiltrated the Militant for a number of years. After speaking to people who knew him back then I’m sure more will come out on how the state targeted open and democratic groups on the left in the 90′s.

Disclaimer: I was a member of the YRE in the 90′s when I was in my mid twenties and worked as a typesetter and layout artist on the Militant newspaper from the late 80′s to the mid 90′s.

PART OF the 50,000 strong protest against the far right BNP in 1993 that took place in Welling, South East London after four racist murders, including that of Stephen Lawrence, within two miles of the BNP Headquarters. Published here by kind permission of Paul Mattsson. (c) Paul Mattsson, 1993.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 29.01.10. Anti-war protesters congregate outside the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre on Friday 29 January 2010 in London, England. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was due to be questioned for six hours by the inquiry – lead by Sir John Chilcot – on the United Kingdom decision to invade Iraq. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2010.

Link: Click here to view more pictures.

Clients: Pictures are available for rights managed editorial licensing. High resolution images are available on request.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 05.12.09. A young man joins tens of thousands of people marching in central London calling for world leaders to agree a deal to protect the environment on Saturday 5 December 2009 in London, England. The Copenhagen climate change summit takes place from 7-18 December 2009. Delegations from 192 countries will be in Copenhagen for two weeks of talks aimed at paving the way for a new global treaty on climate change. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

Link: Click here to view more pictures.

Clients: Pictures are available for rights managed editorial licensing. High resolution images are available on request.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 05.12.09. Actor Peter Capaldi – who plays Malcolm Tucker in ‘The Thick of It’ – joins tens of thousands of people marching in central London calling for world leaders to agree a deal to protect the environment on Saturday 5 December 2009 in London, England. The Copenhagen climate change summit takes place from 7-18 December 2009. Delegations from 192 countries will be in Copenhagen for two weeks of talks aimed at paving the way for a new global treaty on climate change. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

Permanent link.

Here is a slideshow of pictures from the Youth Fight for Jobs protest yesterday.

“Young protesters march for jobs” – BBC News.

“Youth Fight for Jobs” – youthfightforjobs.com

Link : Click here to view more images.

Clients : Images are available for rights managed editorial licensing. High resolution images are available on request.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 28.11.09. Unemployed people, students, union activists and socialist campaigners – from across the UK – congregate in central London to demonstrate and demand jobs as the rate of youth unemployment stands at a record high on Saturday 28 November 2009 in London, England. Unemployment in the UK totalled 2.46 million in the three months to September. Youth unemployment – measuring the number of 16 to 24-year-olds out of work – rose by 15,000 to 943,000. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

SOUTHPORT, UNITED KINGDOM – 22.11.09. Marc Vallée addresses delegate at the National Union of Journalists Annual Delegate Meeting in Southport on Sunday 22 November 2009. Published here by kind permission of the Jane Hobson. (c) Jane Hobson, 2009.

For the last four days I have been at the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM) in Southport as a delegate from the London Freelance Branch. Yesterday I spoke in favour of Motion 152 on the 1984-85 miners’ strike and how industrial conflict and political dissent is reported.

The motion recognised how the Conservative government mobilised the resources of the state to defeat the strike and the role the media played in this.

I highlighted the stunning photographic account of the miners strike (PDF) by the veteran photojournalist John Harris. Coincidentally John was photographing ADM for the NUJ this year. I also spoke about the attacks by the state on frontline journalists who report and document political dissent and conflict today.

Motion 152 (below) from Leeds Branch was passed.

ADM notes that 2009 is the 25th anniversary of the great miners’ strike of 1984-85 and welcomes the publication by the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom of Shafted: The Media, the Miners’ Strike and the Aftermath.

ADM further recognises that the Conservative government mobilised all of the resources of the state to defeat the strike. With the exception of a few honourable journalists, the media was complicit in this, playing a significant role in the destruction of mining communities and the industry.

ADM recognises that the responsibility for this does not rest with individual journalists and reporters, but with senior editors and news controllers acting on the behest of their owners and controllers. The important exception was local and regional newspapers rooted in mining communities which did often report in a more balanced way.

ADM also notes that during the miners’ strike there were over 70 industrial correspondents and reporters. Now there are, at most, three with a specialist industrial brief.

As trades unionists confront the worst recession since the 1930s, the vital role of journalists on local and regional newspapers being able to report the impact of the economic crisis on jobs and local industry is being undermined by the savage cutbacks in jobs by the big regional newspaper groups.

ADM instructs the NEC to inform other trades unions and the TUC of this situation in order to gain wider trade union support for the campaign to defend jobs and standards in the local and regional media.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 24.10.09. Anti-war protesters march from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square for a rally on Saturday 24 October 2009 in London, England. The Stop the War Coalition called for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. (Photo by Marc Vallee/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

Link : Click here to view more images.

Clients : Images are available for rights managed editorial licensing. High resolution images are available on request.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 24.10.09. 104-year-old Hetty Bower joins anti-war protesters in Hyde Park before marching to Trafalgar Square for a rally on Saturday 24 October 2009 in London, England. The Stop the War Coalition called for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. (Photo by Marc Vallee/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.