This photo essay is by Jonathan McIntosh taken on May 1, 2006 in Downtown LA. (This is only Part 1, many more photos coming soon).

Because LA is not my community I feel it is important to begin by saying that I am a community activist and Indymedia photographer from Roxbury/Boston and that my contact info and bio can be found on my website below.

In this way I hope to create some sense of accountability to those here in LA struggling for their rights.

First - I asked each person or group of people for permission for their photograph and also identified myself as press (with the exception of crowd shots). The only people I did not ask, and do not feel the need to ask for permission are those in power, in this case police or members of the corporate media.

Second If anyone sees a photo of themselves posted here and does not wish it to be, please contact me and indymedia LA about removing it. Also please contact me for printable sized photos for publication or for your personal collection.

You may see my website for more info about me and to see my other media work. www.capedmaskedandarmed.com

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Noticed your statement at top about asking people for their permission and identifying yourself as press, and would like to know more about your thinking on this.

While I am aware that undocumented persons face a serious threat of deportation, my own (perhaps naive) belief has been that:

1. Police can take as many pictures as they like at these events, and do

2. Regular media cover these events, as well

3. Attendees at these events generally know this

4. People come to these events in the hope of being seen, and they bring signs in the hope that people will read them, so media should not hold back in assisting with this

5. People coming to these events are somewhat protected by the fact that hundreds of thousands of people are doing exactly what they are doing

6. Seeing these images creates sympathy and support, and generally gives energy to our movements.

But I am a bit concerned by your remarks and think that if the above is not a good rationale then Indymedia should establish some kind of a screening process or at least include some suggested guidelines in its posting policies. It is my desire and concern to be responsible in using this site, and so your thoughts on this will be taken most seriously.

In general I think your points are correct.

Though because I am just visiting this city I felt it important to try and be somewhat accountable. In Boston/Roxbury many people already know and/or trust me with their photo.

I perhaps should have said that I try as much as possible to get permission, though I know that is not always possible in a protest. When documenting direct action or police brutality permission is a little harder.

I personally feel that part of social justice photography is to be transparent, as it is easy for a photographer to exploit those without power here and around the world.

Plus asking people for their photo A) makes batter photos and B) creates dialog and begins to developed trust with people in the struggle. The other issue is of course the fact that some of the people marching might have legal situations...yes they are there marching in public and most do want to be seen...but ask I am in a far more privileged place (and there for a more powerful one) I fill it is important to be respectful and ask.

Plus we do not want to follow the lead of those in power, be they the corporate media or the police photo spies - I think we want to create trust and horizontal community accountability.

Can you provide more information explaining the incident in the two photos "the Police clearing the Area1 & 2"

Thank you for your report.

Yes, see this post with photos and video:

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2006/05/156197.php

Jonathan, thank you for your comments. At this point, I plan to continue photographing and posting photos when they are taken in public places and do not reveal anything more personal than anyone present at the time (including police) could have seen for themselves.

I do still feel some unease regarding the issues that you have raised, including the relative position of privilege that I personally occupy relative to many of those being documented.

Most of the people I have photographed saw that I was taking their picture and even smiled or held their signs for the camera. Some of them took my picture back. But probably none of them knew that their photos were likely to be posted on the Internet. I am monolingual and so would not have found it easy to tell those who spoke only Spanish, and some photos were of crowds including hundreds of visible faces. So, as a practical matter, I will continue to photograph and post, in the belief that it is doing more good than harm. It may seem arrogant to take such a decision into my own hands when it affects others, but either way, the decision to photograph or not to photograph affects others, and it is in each person's hands to make it.