This one has been doing the rounds so you may have seen it. Whatever you think of the politics of the protest, I think this is a great shot for a number of reasons: it tells a story - and one contrary to what is being reported. There's a great contrast between the youth and vulnerability of the girls and the violence that has been done to the van. There's a camaraderie in the eye contact between the main two subjects.
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Did see this around and to be honest doesn't do much for me photographically or as a news pic - first impression when I saw it originally was how contrived and posed it looked...I'm not even that convinced these are real protestors with those handbags!
It's a bit like the "iconic" shot of the chap kicking in the window during the Millbank protest...wide shots of the moment showed he was absolutely surrounded by media and chances are had been egged on. I can't quite see exactly what's on the edge of this frame but it looks like it might be similar...stunted shots and interviews going on once the real action has passed. In which case, why are they still "protecting" the police van?
Someone had done a good blog or article comparing how different perspectives change the story of a photo, using the Millbank photo as the example. Can't find the article now, but...
Crop that most newspapers used...
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23896267-thousands-join-london-march-in-protest-at-soaring-tuition-fees.do
Wide...
http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2010/11/11/birmingham-students-witness-violent-scenes-at-london-protest-97319-27637933/
Is there a type of bag that "real" protesters carry? (They are certainly inexperienced protesters judging by their youth, but I don't think you can say more than that.)
Whether it is posed or not is difficult to say. It may have started off unposed, but then became more posed as the photos were taken. As I said, I like the photo but I'm glad I didn't get as carried away as this bloke in the Guardian!
Interesting comment on the Millbank shot, though.
Hilarious stuff!
Think I prefer the pic used with that article though - slightly more believable as a news pic and much less cheesy!
I'd suspect that the fashionable protestor look for 2010 is not an over-the-shoulder handbag - it impedes fist shaking when taunting the police, lessens your range when extinguisher throwing and look like it's got some very unsafe clasps and buckles which could catch on a riot shield.
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