Recording the life at hand through photography
Iranian Protests in Scotland
By the end of last year, I was emotionally drained from covering increasingly hostile and charged protests. The year had seen a surge in right-wing rhetoric in the media, which spilled onto the streets. Meanwhile, ongoing pro-Palestinian protests evolved into demonstrations against the UK government’s perceived complicity in supporting Israel’s war machine, going so far as to criminalise dissent. Almost every protest became, in some way, a protest against the government.
The combined effect of government propaganda and mainstream media backing left many feeling helpless, unable to hope for change through democratic means, especially as similar scenarios played out across the world.
Those same frustrations have recently erupted in Iran, where protesters demanding regime change have taken to the streets. As reports of deaths make headlines, UK ministers call for restraint and the right to free speech, while ignoring domestic hunger strikers held on indefinite remand and the arrest of peaceful protesters under terrorism laws for arguably similar actions.
Scotland, home to a large Iranian community, inevitably saw those sentiments reflected locally. The first protest I attended was in Edinburgh, outside the US consulate, followed by one in Glasgow days later. The atmosphere at both was electric: protesters packed tightly beneath a sea of banners and flags, perfect for my favoured wide-angle lens.
I won’t delve into the politics behind Iran’s unrest, but the passion on display and the courtesy extended to photographers made these events a refreshing change. Like all protests, one hopes their cause will be resolved soon. Until then, the documentation continues.
