Το Londonderry ή «Derry», όπως το έχουν ονομάσει οι Καθολικοί εθνικιστές, είναι η πιο πυκνοκατοικημένη περιοχή της Βόρειας Ιρλανδίας που θα μπορούσε να επηρεαστεί από το Brexit εάν οριστούν σύνορα.
Το άγχος που εκφράζουν πολλοί σε αυτήν την περιοχή, είναι ότι τα σύνορα ως αποτέλεσμα του Brexit ενδέχεται να απειλήσουν την ειρηνευτική συμφωνία του 1998, τη συνθήκη που έβαλε τέρμα στη βία μεταξύ Προτεσταντικών Ενωτικών και Καθολικών Εθνικιστών.
Ο μηχανισμός ασφαλείας Backstop, ένα σχέδιο πλέον ανενεργό, ήταν η λύση του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου για τη δημιουργία μιας μεθορίου που να μη μοιάζει με τα κοινά σύνορα ανάμεσα στις δυο χώρες.
Πρόσφατα, ένας άνδρας που πρόσκειται στους εθνικιστές εξέφρασε την οργή του σε μια παμπ για την ιδέα ότι θα έπρεπε να οδηγεί με τα γράμματα «GB» στην πινακίδα του αυτοκινήτου του.
Επομένως, είναι απολύτως πιθανό αυτός ο φόβος να οδηγήσει σε θυμό, και τελικά σε βία, με πρόφαση την παραμικρή δυσκολία.
Byron Smith - As sunset gives way to a Friday night, pedestrians cross the Peace Bridge over the River Foyle in Londonderry. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - As sunset gives way to a Friday night, pedestrians cross the Peace Bridge over the River Foyle in Londonderry. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Parade goers make their way down to Bishop Street, a main road in Londonderry where the Loyalist Protestants will hold their parade. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Parade goers make their way down to Bishop Street, a main road in Londonderry where the Loyalist Protestants will hold their parade. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Loyalist Protestants parade through Londonderry to commemorate the Apprentice Boys of Derry as they will later initiate new members. The Apprentice Boys are a Protestant fraternal society founded in 1814 with a worldwide membership of over 10,000. The fraternal order say the parades are expressing their heritage. The nationalists see them as intimidation. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Loyalist Protestants parade through Londonderry to commemorate the Apprentice Boys of Derry as they will later initiate new members. The Apprentice Boys are a Protestant fraternal society founded in 1814 with a worldwide membership of over 10,000. The fraternal order say the parades are expressing their heritage. The nationalists see them as intimidation. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Members of the Apprentice Boys of Derry, a Protestant fraternal society founded in 1814 with a worldwide membership of over 10,000, enjoy each other’s company over drinks after a parade held as new members would be initiated later that day on Friday September 20, 2019.
Byron Smith - Members of the Apprentice Boys of Derry, a Protestant fraternal society founded in 1814 with a worldwide membership of over 10,000, enjoy each other’s company over drinks after a parade held as new members would be initiated later that day on Friday September 20, 2019.
Byron Smith - Children play with a canon and rifle during Loyalist reenactment demonstrations a day before a Loyalist parade as the Apprentice Boys of Derry will later initiate new members. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Children play with a canon and rifle during Loyalist reenactment demonstrations a day before a Loyalist parade as the Apprentice Boys of Derry will later initiate new members. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Derry City Cemetery where a number of the most prominent figures during the time of the "Troubles" are buried. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Derry City Cemetery where a number of the most prominent figures during the time of the "Troubles" are buried. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - A woman walks past murals depicting scenes from the Troubles found in the Bogside, a Catholic enclave of Londonderry, Northern Ireland. This city is considered a "front-line" of Britain's push to leave the E.U. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - A woman walks past murals depicting scenes from the Troubles found in the Bogside, a Catholic enclave of Londonderry, Northern Ireland. This city is considered a "front-line" of Britain's push to leave the E.U. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - A man walks his dogs down a road in Creggan, a heavily Catholic area of Londonderry. This is where journalist Lyra McKee, 29 was fatally shot as she was covering rioting caused by policing in the area. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - A man walks his dogs down a road in Creggan, a heavily Catholic area of Londonderry. This is where journalist Lyra McKee, 29 was fatally shot as she was covering rioting caused by policing in the area. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - A man waits for a taxi on Spencer Road in a Loyalist area of Londonderry. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - A man waits for a taxi on Spencer Road in a Loyalist area of Londonderry. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Ladies chat amidst traditional Nationalist songs sung at the Castle Bar during "Rebel Sundays" on Waterloo Street. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Ladies chat amidst traditional Nationalist songs sung at the Castle Bar during "Rebel Sundays" on Waterloo Street. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith- A bar patron wears his feelings on a passing Brexit deadline that failed to break the United Kingdom away from the E.U. which happened to coincide with Halloween at Sandinos pub in Londonderry. Northern Ireland, October 2019
Byron Smith- A bar patron wears his feelings on a passing Brexit deadline that failed to break the United Kingdom away from the E.U. which happened to coincide with Halloween at Sandinos pub in Londonderry. Northern Ireland, October 2019
Byron Smith - A bar patron passes out at the end of "Rebel Sunday" celebrations, where Republicans go out and sing and dance to traditional republican music at a number of bars on Waterloo street. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - A bar patron passes out at the end of "Rebel Sunday" celebrations, where Republicans go out and sing and dance to traditional republican music at a number of bars on Waterloo street. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Overlooking the Loyalist Fountain estate, a woman stands on The Derry Walls, a 17th century structure that runs through the center of the city. The walls were constructed as defenses for early 17th century settlers from England and Scotland. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith - Overlooking the Loyalist Fountain estate, a woman stands on The Derry Walls, a 17th century structure that runs through the center of the city. The walls were constructed as defenses for early 17th century settlers from England and Scotland. Northern Ireland, September 2019
Byron Smith – The Backstop “The Backstop, Life in pre-Brexit Londonderry”
Londonderry or “Derry,” as the Catholic nationalists have called it, is the most populous area of Northern Ireland that could be affected by Brexit if a border is implemented.
The anxiety expressed by many in this region, is that a Brexit border may threaten the Peace Agreement of 1998; the treaty that brought an end to the violence between Protestant Unionists and Catholic Nationalists.
The Backstop, now defunct, was the UK’s solution to creating a border without the appearance of a common border between nations.
Recently, a nationalists aligned man at a pub expressed anger at the idea that he would have to drive around with the letters “GB” on his license plate.
So it’s entirely possible that this fear could lead to anger, and eventually violence, over the smallest of inconveniences.
Ο Byron Smith (γεν. 1986) είναι Αμερικανός ανεξάρτητος φωτογράφος με έδρα την Αθήνα. Με σπουδές στην ιστορία, έβαλε στην άκρη την πένα και έπιασε το φακό για να καταγράψει αυτή την εποχή. Πριν μετακομίσει στην Αθήνα τον περασμένο Αύγουστο, εργαζόταν ως ανταποκριτής στη Νέα Υόρκη από το 2011. Έχει συνεργαστεί με τα έντυπα The New York Times, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, Getty Images και The Wall Street Journal, μεταξύ άλλων. Ο Byron συμμετείχε στο The New York Times Portfolio Review το 2017 και επιλέχθηκε ξανά για το 2020. Το έργο του έχει δημοσιευτεί στα μέσα: Getty Images, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel και VICE.
Βραβεία :
• 2020 New York Portfolio Review Selected Participant 2019 Vogue Italia Portfolio Review Attendee 2019 New York Press Photographers Association Best in Show 2018 Yunghi Grant Recipient 2018 New York Press Photographers Association Best in Show 2017 New York Times Portfolio Review 2017 PhotogrVphy Magazine & Grant: Finalist Mosul Offensive 2016 2017 En Foco Fellowship 2016 New York Press Photographers Association • News Picture Story: 1η θέση • National / International News: 1η & 3η θέση 2011 New York Press Association • Feature «Occupy Wall Street Protesters on the No.4 Train» 1η θέση 2011 National Press Photographers Association Monthly News Clip Contest • Feature/Multiple Picture: «Springfield’s Deadly Tornadoes»: 2η θέση 2008 New Jersey Press Association Better Newspaper Contest • Spot News: 3η θέση 2007 Boston Press Photographers Association College Photojournalism Contest • News: 1η & 2η θέση • Photo Story: 1η & 3η θέση Εκπαίδευση 9/2004 -5/2008 Βοστώνη University Boston, MA • B.S. στη Δημοσιογραφία, με ειδίκευση στο Φωτορεπορτάζ
Byron Smith (b. 1986) is an American freelance photographer based in Athens, Greece. With a background in history, he has put down the pen in favor of the lens to document these times. Before moving to Athens this past August he worked as a stringer in New York City since 2011. His clients include The New York Times, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, Getty Images, The Wall Street Journal among others. Byron was apart of The New York Times Portfolio Review in 2017 and has been selected for the same review in 2020. His work has been published with: Getty Images, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and VICE.
Awards: • 2020 New York Portfolio Review Selected Participant 2019 Vogue Italia Portfolio Review Attendee 2019 New York Press Photographers Association Best in Show 2018 Yunghi Grant Recipient 2018 New York Press Photographers Association Best in Show 2017 New York Times Portfolio Review 2017 PhotogrVphy Magazine & Grant: Finalist Mosul Offensive 2016 2017 En Foco Fellowship 2016 New York Press Photographers Association • News Picture Story: 1 st place • National / International News: 1 st & 3 rd place 2011 New York Press Association • Feature “Occupy Wall Street Protesters on the No.4 Train” 1st place 2011 National Press Photographers Association Monthly News Clip Contest • Feature/Multiple Picture: “Springfield’s Deadly Tornadoes”: 2nd Place 2008 New Jersey Press Association Better Newspaper Contest • Spot News: 3 rd place 2007 Boston Press Photographers Association College Photojournalism Contest •News: 1st & 2nd place •Photo Story: 1 st & 3 rd place Education 9/2004 -5/2008 Boston University Boston, MA •Graduated with a B.S. in Journalism, Photojournalism Emphasis