This story was originally published in the Mosaic Art & Literary Journal. It is a work of fiction set during the 2009 G20 Summit protests in London, where the accompanying photos were captured. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Camera – check.
24mm f/1.4 lens – check.
Three fully-charged battery packs – check.
Three formatted memory cards – check.
Lens brush – check.
Rock ‘n Roll.
I set out. It was nine o’clock, later than I had intended to leave, but still OK. The protests weren’t scheduled to start until after eleven, and even with the unavoidable traffic issues, I got to Cannon Street tube before ten. Bank, of course, was closed. Even before I managed to get out of the station, it was clear that I was in the right place. People wearing all sorts of costumes were trickling out into the street with me. I saw the scariest Mickey Mouse I had ever seen, a horrible beast with the jagged smile of a demon of avarice, big round ears, a polka-dot ribbon between them, and eyes full of burning rage. The sight so shook me I didn’t even manage to get my camera out. Happy Financial Fool’s.
Outside the lines of police were prominent. Walk this way, don’t walk that way, don’t ask questions. I got my camera. There wasn’t much action yet, but there were definitely enough characters. Everyone loves a picture of a lunatic.
