When police in Baltimore, brutally killed Freddie Gray, protests spanned across cities in the United States. The biggest of course, happened in the city of Baltimore, where angry protesters demanded justice for the victim and his family.
As the mainstream media continued to show burning buildings, looting, and violent standoffs between police and protesters in the west of the city, there were individuals also on the ground taking photos of what the mainstream media, such as the CNN and Fox News, will never like to take or talk about.
For the CNN, Fox News and other mainstream media, the protesters were thugs who had no case and were only interested in causing mayhem in the city. Well, that is their point of view. And whether they were bias in their coverage of the protest or not, anybody who followed them closely will be able to arrive at a decision about their so called neutrality in the dissemination of news.
One of the few individuals who was eager to take the photos that the mainstream media would not, is an 18-year-old student from DC, called Amir Prince. Prince wanted to capture the chaos to be able to give a counter-narrative to what the mainstream media will put out.
Prince told thinkprogress.org, how the situation was when he arrived from DC to document his own version of the protest.
“It was pretty scary. As soon as we got out of the car we saw a couple people walking down the street and someone literally said to us be careful with your equipment, watch your back. It was scary but it was for a good cause to see what was going on first hand and that that’s what’s actually being shown,” he said.
The first thing Prince saw on arrival, was officers completely surrounding a man. They then moved the crowd so that nobody could see what was happening. But Price was able to climb a nearby banister to watch and capture what was going on. He witnessed officers arresting and dragging a bloodied man on the ground.
Another man, was seriously tear-gassed in the eyes. People around him brought milk to try and wash his eyes and free him from the brutal pain he was suffering in that moment.
Prince was also able to capture an emotional scene, whereby the clergy prayed with police and knelt down in front of them to show their desire for calm in the city.
“I tried to capture everything that happened. It’s interesting to look at the footage I have. Some of it was what the news was portraying, but a lot of it is what they aren’t portraying,” Prince said.
It’s most interesting, that all these scenes captured by Prince, were never seen by the so called neutral mainstream media outlets. They had different eyes to the incident. As for their agenda, it remains unknown. Yet, it is no secret that the mainstream media serve a special interest, both in the US and beyond.
Prince has since exhibited his photos at a photo fair organized by Critical Exposure-a DC based community organization that emphasizes “photography and advocacy to make real change”.
His photos have shed light on what the real situation was during the protest. Many have admired what he has done and hope that he will continue to speak for the voiceless in society.
“None of these students’ stories or voices have been enhanced or distorted, and that is a very rare thing. If you have listened to what the media, public officials, or others who try to speak for youth have to say, you know that it’s a very different narrative,” said Executive Director of Critical Exposure-Adam Levner, regarding Prince’s work.
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thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/06/03/3665265/dc-youth-hold-camera-to-injustice/
