I've photographed quite a few demonstrations over the years and they never fail to offer something photographically. Here are a few things I've learnt while shooting them:
1. First off, aside from the tasty edited highlights that you see on the news the fact is that for large amounts of time not terribly much happens. Be prepared for a lot of walking and standing around, don't wear your Sunday best and make sure you've got comfortable footwear. You might end up staying longer and later than you plan so have clothing such as hat, scarf and gloves with you too. If you are looking for where the action is, follow the sound of hovering helicopters. These will be piloted by either the police or the media and they'll certainly be looking at something worth photographing
Anti pension reform protest, Bastille, Paris 2010
2. Most of the time you'll find yourself in a large moving mass of people so it's important to try and stay ahead of the crowd. A high viewpoint is great for this so climb up onto anything that will give you an elevated viewpoint so you can anticipate the movement and get yourself in the best position. You could even ring on a doorbell and see if a nice old lady will let you shoot from her window (assistant to hold onto your thigh is optional)
Protest against the bombing of Gaza by Israel, Downing Street, London 2006
3. In my experience, photographers are grudgingly tolerated by the police during these events. They won't exactly welcome you with open arms but the majority of them understand that you're there to do a job and you will be left to get on with it. But if things start to get heated it might get a bit 'hands on' so watch yourself
Mayday demonstration, Oxford Circus, London 2001
4. The police may decide to block off an area containing people within it and not let anyone in or out. This does not (usually) apply to accredited journalists but you'll need some I.D to wave at them, a N.U.J (National Union of Journalists) card is one of the mostly widely recognised
Anti Nazi League against English Defense League, Harrow Mosque, London 2009
5. Be aware that certain groups do not like having their photographs taken and view photographers with a lot of suspicion and hostility. This is especially true of extremist groups and I've witnessed photographers being assaulted and having their kit broken. If in doubt stay at arms length and be vigilant
Anti pension reform protest, Nation, Paris 2010
6. Things can be very different on the continent and overseas. In Europe the use of baton rounds, flash grenades, C.S gas and water canon are common and present much higher risks than the tactics used by the mainland U.K police forces. Be aware of what you're getting yourself involved in before you head out
Anti Nazi League against English Defense League, Harrow Mosque, London 2009
7. With such a fluid situation plus the chance that your movement may be limited it's a good idea to have two cameras with you, one having a wide to medium telephoto lens and the other a standard telephoto zoom. This means you're able to get the shots you want in most situations.
Prime lenses are fairly useless since you may be wedged in a crowd against other people and unable to move. I use a 24-105mm and a 70-200mm which gives me great flexibility when shooting, it's also a good idea to use lens hoods and UV(0) filters to protect the front element of your lenses as they may get a knock. Shooting an event (or anything for that matter) without your kit being insured is a no no
Anti Nazi League against English Defense League, Harrow Mosque, London 2009
8. Don't on any account, go anywhere near police dogs. They only have two settings which are either 'on' or 'off'.
If you see them being deployed during a demo they will definitely be set to 'on'
Anti pension reform protest, Nation, Paris 2010
9. If you are looking to get shots of confrontation you will invariably find yourself sandwiched between groups of agitated protestors and lines of police who will be waving their batons about. As well as this you will also find yourself in the firing line for any missiles being thrown by members of the crowd further back. For this reason it is a good idea to think about some sort of head protection.
Some people use cycling or climbing helmets which can be a bit cumbersome when you are taking photos. I recently came across this 'bump hat' from the D.I.Y store B&Q which does the job perfectly. Looks like a baseball cap but acts like hard hat, sneaky...
10. Above all shooting protests can be incredibly rewarding for a photographer. Working in such a fluid situation can really bring out the best in you and you'll be amazed at the effect of a little adrenalin on your image taking.
Anti pension reform protest, Bastille, Paris 2010
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