stevenpr1

[stevenpr1]

“Disassociate” | Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico | July 13th, 2019

I took this photo reluctantly. I was appealed by the symmetry and the metaphor it represented; a line of armed and armoured police standing in front of a castle, protecting one very small man who had just offended them and their families. 

Neither of them wanted to be there, yet they were the ones standing in between justice and the perpetrator.

This image was taken on the first day of protests against then Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló. Before the riots. Before violence forced the media to broadcasted our struggle to the world. We gathered arounded La Fortaleza peacefully and protesters met in front of the police lines to speak to them. Some of the officers were moved to tears when a protester recounted their experiences after Hurricane Maria and spoke of government corruption. Another demonstrator asked if they have a Plan B, now that the government has robbed them of their pensions.

I saw the officer in the image twitch her lips. So I raised my camera and took her photo. Seconds later, her demeanor broke, and she cried silently while looking forward. Every officer stared forward, afraid to break code. Protesters comforted her, and then alerted the surrounding police that their fellow officer was crying, at that it was okay to feel hurt by the actions of Ricardo Rosselló, to have felt abandoned by the government. I watched as each of them broke down, as if their sobs were contagious, but still they stared forward.

[stevenpr1]

“The Spark” | Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico | July 15th, 2019

“This is it. This is the revolution.” I thought when I took this photo. After several hours of intense rioting, protesters built a barricade on Calle Fortaleza using dumpsters and the $500 orange traffic cones (which were purchased during another government scandal) and set it on fire. We figured out that smoke counteracts the effects of tear gas so we used it to our advantage.

“¡Somos más y no tenemos miedo!”

The chants were so loud I could feel it vibrate in my bones. Protesters pushed the flaming barricade forward, cutting off riot polices’ only exit. The lines of riot police retreated to the front gate of La Fortaleza, where the governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, resides. The riot police attempted to shoot tear gas at us but the infamous umbrellas on Calle Fortaleza severely limited their shooting range and every canister was quickly extinguished. We paused for a moment to plea for the police to join us.

“¡Únete, únete, policía únete!”

The gates of La Fortaleza opened and dozens of riot police came in from behind pointing guns at our directed. Shots rang out and protesters fled in direction. They shot canisters in the shape of grenades that would explode and send shrapnel in every direction. Police filled the streets with tear gas as residents hung bed sheets over their windows. The fight continued on the blue cobblestone streets that night as Ricky desperately held onto his power.

[stevenpr1]

Worm Moon | San Juan, Puerto Rico | May 7th, 2020