Olympics at street level, Diyah Pera photographs

I went out with Diyah Pera, a photographer friend of mine, on Friday to watch the protests. She took some great pictures.

I like the one above in particular. There’s hope and determination in the face. There’s another quality I’ll inadequately describe as “realness”. Experience, life lived. I don’t know about you, but I want to hear what this person has to say.

But then you have the Che icon, and suddenly the air starts to come out of the tires. Che Guevara, whose Stalinist convictions lead him to sign a letter to his mother “Stalin II” at one point. (Please note the link is to the Workers Liberty website, not the National Review.)

I’m not trying to trash anyone’s favorite t-shirt hero here. Only pointing out the irony. Stalin was known for many things, but tolerating protest marches certainly wasn’t one of them.

More pix after the jump.

It sure was the most beautiful protest I’ve ever seen. Check out  Michael Lin’s “A Modest Veil” making everyone look they’re on stage at the Met. Spectacular.

I like the signs too. Especially from a distance. They make a thicket of agitated ideas, like an organic growth. In the end, certainly on film, the single large idea that veils the gallery seems to take precedence. So the whole scene is oddly calm.

I really liked these dudes below as well. I have no idea really what they were on about, but they went with the Michael Lin perfectly

And besides, the tree guys can’t be Stalinists. I mean, think of the ents.

More signs below. Here’s one challenging the whole conceptual framework under which the assembly and its protests might be interpretted. No one is illegal, but Canada is illegal. I believe this is the logical fallacy of amphiboly.

And another one, not a logical fallacy, necessarily. Just maybe a bit over the top. Fascism, really?

We’re really losing track of the word fascist, I think. IOC: bloated, corrupt, pork-barrel bureacrats? Sure, probably. Fascists?

I don’t know. And my doubt arises even before I turn around and see this:

And this:

And, my favorite, this:

You were made for what, exactly? I mean, I kind of want to know if you’re planning on marching through the city on any kind of regular basis.

Made for protest? Bring it on.

Or is it: made for throwing mailboxes through windows? Made for “Diversity of Tactics“? Well then, I’m less inclined to support your freedom of expression.

Or does that make me a fascist?