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Eric Fichtl
<p>Two well-armed national police officers patrol the streets of Tame, passing sun-beaten election murals for the then-mayor.</p>

Thanks for visiting. This website features my photography, writing, and a bit about me.

PHOTOS

Here is a random sample of my photos. Visit my galleries for many more.


<p>From the perspective of the Town Hall's tower, Gdansk's historic centre almost appears to be made up of toy houses.<br /></p>
<p>Umm, right.<br /></p>
<p>Strollers and cyclists pass a dilapidated building in a Marrakech side street.</p>
<p><em>Autoconvocados</em> (self-organised protestors) from Corrientes province, in Buenos Aires' Plaza de Mayo. Argentina has a rich tradition of autonomous worker movements who eschew formal affiliations with unions or political parties, yet can successfully mount sustained popular protests around shared concerns. <br /></p> <p>In these protests in 1999, a diverse front of teachers, state employees, farmers, pensioners, healthcare workers, small business owners, transport workers, and the un(der)employed organised months-long demonstrations against government corruption, unpaid wages, and diminishing quality of life in their province. Using tactics such as strikes, roadblocks, <em>escraches</em> (loud demonstrations outside the homes of targeted individuals), and mass marches, they amplified their call for reforms. Six months in, the Corrientes <em>autoconvocados</em> had even brought their protests to the national capital. <br /></p> <p>Their concerns and protests were an early indicator of the grim politico-economic meltdown that was about to ravage the entire country. </p>
<p>A group of kids very amused to have their picture taken. <br /></p><p>Part of the graffiti reads 'Das dores boavida', which can translate as 'From pain, a good life'.<br /></p>
<p>Passengers wait on the perfectly parallel platforms of Bruxelles-Nord station.</p>
<p>The NYPD blue are quick to turn out in defence of the white collars of Wall Street. Here, police film, observe, and later arrest peaceful protestors outside the doors of the New York Stock Exchange.</p>
<p>A tall oak and other trees coated just perfectly during a rare Berlin snowfall. <br /></p> <p>As I took this picture, a woman walking her dog passed by and said 'No one will ever believe those pictures are from Berlin'. Fair point.</p>
TEXTS

A lot of what I write professionally carries no byline. Here are some of the works I have put my name to.

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Times Square Record Mart: Universidad de Música Latina

A quick take on the legendary record shop in Times Square Subway station, just before it closed...
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Other or One of Us? Bulgaria’s Attempt to Assimilate Its Ethnic Turks

In the mid 1980s the Bulgarian Communist Party systematically sought to erase the identity of the largest ethnic minority in the state. Why?
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Civilian “Collaborators” in Colombia’s Conflict

Though press reports often cite deaths of civilian collaborators, what qualifies as “collaboration” is rarely explored by mainstream coverage.