From 10.00am the relatively small group of protesters had steadily, stealthily grown into hundreds, then thousands in The Meadows. Suddenly, swarms of people had arrived from every direction. Two children wielded a megaphone, chanting in support of their cause. One marcher arrived armed with a boom box strapped to his back, up-tempo music filling the air with already heightened anticipation.
From the green of Middle Meadow Walk, the front of the march passed at 11.40am. A seemingly endless conveyer belt of passion and purpose, the end could not be seen until an hour later. Peaceful protesters clutching placards, waving flags and beating drums moved as one. The crowd roared, the piper played, the mass was on a mission. It was truly an impressive sight to behold.
All the young people I spoke to made it clear that while it was important that their age group show initiative, all ages must share the responsibility to help a cause that will affect everyone eventually. Police and specially hired security staff darted to and fro among the throng of people. Wave upon wave of signs and slogans migrated along the leafy walk as audiences assembled on the sidelines watching the spectacle while clapping and cheering them on.
Some messages were inspired.
‘Do it for David’, with a photograph of Attenborough, springs to mind as one among many. The young were politically engaged and socially aware while the older were taking them seriously, guiding and supporting – and some even taking part.
In Scotland I attended Dunfermline High School from 2010 to 2016 and Edinburgh Napier University from 2016 to 2020, emerging with two Advanced Higher and five Higher qualifications from the former and graduating with an undergraduate bachelor of arts honours degree in journalism from the latter. After two years away from further education due to the coronavirus pandemic, I'm going to be studying the MFA Photography course at York St John University in England from 2022 to 2024. I've achieved The Duke of Edinburgh’s (Bronze) Award and received grade five level certification for electronic keyboard from Trinity College London. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, writing, watching television series, listening to music and going to the cinema as well as catching up with friends, travelling by railway and hostelling overnight and overindulging in food and drinks in a pub or restaurant then having to go to the gym to burn it all off again.
By studying journalism and photography, my aim of practicing photojournalism professionally will hopefully be once step closer. Both are partial artforms requiring the rest of the work to be undertaken by the audience, the specialism of photojournalism, however, providing each of its two parts with greater context. Exploring photographic techniques (aerial, timelapse, editing) through a variety of journalistic styles (features, poetry, songwriting) will allow me to develop my portfolio, hone my camera skillset and narrow my focus further in anticipation of working life. Without a global pandemic to deal with this time. Fingers crossed.
