We Do Not Consent: Jeremy Jeffs documents London protests in powerful new photo book

Protests and people's right to publicly object have been a subject of great concern in the UK over the last few years. From the police's treatment of women during the Sarah Everard vigil to legal amendments that will make it more difficult to protest, it's a subject of great concern and one that's close to the heart of Jeremy Jeffs.

In his new book, We Do Not Consent, which contains 43 impactful black and white photographs spread across 90 pages, Jeremy has conducted an in-depth look at London protests during the various lockdowns between 2020 and 2021. Through his candid images, Jeremy examines the use of police power, the behaviour of sometimes angry crowds, and the tactics the police use to control them.

Described by the publisher as initially a "cry of defiance" from anti-lockdown protesters who were confronted with a heavy-handed and often violent response from the police, We Do Not Consent has since evolved into a broader look at the authoritarian methods used by law enforcement officers.

Jeremy says: "Between May 2020 and May 2021, I took photographs of more than 27 demonstrations across London. On some days, I photographed at more than one demonstration, moving between two or three merging events, making it hard to be precise about the number photographed.

"Whilst many protests were against the imposition of Covid measures, many more were focused on issues such as climate change, food standards and the right to protest itself."

He adds: "Nearly all of these took place under the special police powers and restriction of movement that had been introduced during the pandemic. And nearly all of them would be severely affected by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that is currently before Parliament, which proposes, among other things, to criminalise protesters causing a disruption, for example, by being noisy or blocking a road."

Limited to 100 editions, We Do Not Consent is available to buy now from Fistful of Books for £20.