Brian Haw
1949 - 2011
1949 - 2011
In recent years if you have gone to London to look around the city and check out Big Ben and the surrounding area, you would have seen a rag tag looking bunch protesting inside Parliament Square.
Brian Haw began campaigned for peace in 2001, camping outside of London’s Parliament and refused to be moved for the next 10 years. The somewhat large square of ground he claimed in the middle of the traffic had been given over as Crown Land and as such, the local police did not have the authority to move him along, only the Queen did. (Handy little loophole that. That was his story and he was sticking to it) Instead of spending my first day in London checking out all the sites, I spent a few hours in the middle of Parliament Square, getting sunburn, reading posters, talking to the other protesters, listening to Brian speak on what was close to his heart.
Brian passed away in June 2011.
While I cannot say I knew him very well after the one meeting we had, I can say that the encounter was profound to me. This one man was un-moving and defiantly committed to speaking his message... right up until his death.
Regardless of your position on politics and the way peace is to be achieved, this man was dedicated to seeing an end to war and injustice and it was a privilege to meet him.
Brian Haw began campaigned for peace in 2001, camping outside of London’s Parliament and refused to be moved for the next 10 years. The somewhat large square of ground he claimed in the middle of the traffic had been given over as Crown Land and as such, the local police did not have the authority to move him along, only the Queen did. (Handy little loophole that. That was his story and he was sticking to it) Instead of spending my first day in London checking out all the sites, I spent a few hours in the middle of Parliament Square, getting sunburn, reading posters, talking to the other protesters, listening to Brian speak on what was close to his heart.
Brian passed away in June 2011.
While I cannot say I knew him very well after the one meeting we had, I can say that the encounter was profound to me. This one man was un-moving and defiantly committed to speaking his message... right up until his death.
Regardless of your position on politics and the way peace is to be achieved, this man was dedicated to seeing an end to war and injustice and it was a privilege to meet him.
Further information on Brian's campaigning can be found on his website:-
http://www.brianhaw.tv/
Photos by John Englezos
www.johnephotography.com
http://www.brianhaw.tv/
Photos by John Englezos
www.johnephotography.com
