Following an account on Fck Boris Fck Government demo published by Freedom News on Friday, we have received a few more. Here is one of them.

It’s being eight years since I put a bet on Boris Johnson becoming prime minister in the form of a weak hand shake, as a documentary photographer photographing protests and demonstrations for a decade I had to include the FCK BORIS, FCK GOVN protest. Travelling up to London on one of the hottest days of the summer, I made my way to Whitehall, where Class War were blocking the gates to Downing Street, it was a small but vocal demonstration, Laurie Love providing the soundtrack to the dystopian political story unfolding before our eyes. I had to hand it Class War, they were holding the fort, where was the FCK BORIS demonstration?

I decided to go and find the street party that was promised, this entailed a bus journey in 36 degree heat, (weight loss ensued). The FCK BORIS demo, (by the way, never call him by his first name; you don’t know him and you don’t want to know him). Russell Square was the location, why so far from Downing Street? One member from Class War pointed out “It might as well be Yorkshire” I finally caught up with the march heading for Trafalgar Square, it was big, it was loud, it was full of energy, I was reminded of the Catalan demonstrations, it felt like a genuine protest unlike the over organised and steered recent Extinction Rebellion so called protests.

Music was a focus point for this demonstration, I never understand why music isn’t used more often, it transforms what can otherwise be a dry and lifeless rally. Crowds of up to five thousand people filled Whitehall, danced and sang and united in the heat against a new Conservative Government which has been built to cause maximum damage while it has the chance, police cars and vans were graffitied with FCK BORIS and anarchist signs, placards demanding that Nazanine Zaghari-Ratcliffe be freed along with this is not my prime minister slogans. It wasn’t a Poll Tax riot, but it was a presence, and the DJ on the double Decker bus reminded all these young people some of whom won’t be old enough to have being affected by forced austerity, the cuts and shock doctrine style changes we have all had to endure over the last ten years, the worst is yet to come, and the night is long but sooner or later the dawn will come. (Hopefully)

Photos and text: Fields of Light Photography