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Tottenham Riots

Episode 2 of 5

Lewis Whyld of the Press Association was one of the first photographers on the scene when rioting exploded in Tottenham. Here he tells how he survived the fires and the gangs.

Miles Warde presents the second of five programmes featuring photographers capturing the most dramatic events of the past year. When Lewis Whyld of the Press Association arrived on Tottenham High Street on August 6th, the first and fiercest night of this summer's riots, he soon saw three other photographers being attacked. For the next hour therefore he shot on his mobile phone, and only pulled out his cameras once it was dark. Shooting by the light of the police helicopter searchlight, Lewis captured images that went right round the world. In this compelling account of an extremely difficult assignment, he draws parallels between what was happening in north London, and what he had witnessed earlier this year in the riots Tahrir Square in Cairo. This programme is filled with extraordinary detail, and reveals how little are the rewards for photographers who risk everything in order to witness events.

Available now

15 minutes

Last on

Tue 1 Nov 2011 15:45

Broadcast

  • Tue 1 Nov 2011 15:45

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