2020 in photos: reviewing a year of turbulence

From Black Lives Matter marches to nurses’ pay protests to right-wing marches against lockdown, here is 2020 through the lens of London protest photographer Steve Eason.

Photographer’s note: The gallery of images below tries to capture my experience of photographing protests in London this year under difficult circumstances, with restrictions on daily life and large gatherings, and with much of the organised left in self-isolation and avoiding travel during the pandemic year.

Other than the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that brought thousands of people onto the streets after the killing of George Floyd, 2020 in Britain has mainly not been a year for mass marches – in the photos that follow, I try to show some of the more creative ways of demonstrating.

Credit is also due to Extinction Rebellion, Earth Strike and Amazon Not Pasture for their dedication to protesting climate change and showing solidarity with the Global South.

Of course, not all street protests this year have been benign, and the gallery reflects this. For instance, some of the photos that follow are from anti-lockdown protests, which have become a hotbed for conspiracy theories and far-right ideas.

Tomorrow is a new year, and the left must face it with determination to keep fighting for a better future.