2011 Arab Uprising
When the Arab Uprising began in 2010 I was still at the beginning of my journey as a Photo Journalist with Media.Link Communications Ltd and I were only on a part-time basis.
A Libyan burning a Dinar with Muammar Gaddafi on it.
At first not much happened in Malta but in early 2011 things started to happen in Malta too with Libyan Protestors, protesting in front of the Libyan Embassy in Balzan. I remember exactly the first day that I was called to cover these protests. It was the 22nd of February 2011 which happens to be my birthday so I will never forget this date.
I was amazed by these protestors, many of them waving banners with writing on them, some of them showing printed photos of the massacre that was being done in Libya by the Muammar Gaddafi regime, some of them crying, even children were brought to these protests.
What amazed me most was that when it was time for praying at noon, they stopped the protest, faced Mecca and started their ritual praying. Muslims first pray standing up and then kneeling or sitting. They recite from the Quran and glorify and praise Allah.
People residing in Libya started fleeing the country especially Europeans, Americans and Asians. They started arriving in Malta since it is the first land in Europe, around 355 km.
The Maltese government at the time really had a big headache to keep up with all that was happening, helping people to get them over to Malta from Libya and then arrange for them to fly to their respective countries.
One fine day Two Libyan Air Force Mirage Jet fighters arrived in Malta. At first, there was a bit of panic as it was thought that they are attacking Malta. But after negotiations and confirming they are not attacking Malta, they were allowed to land in Malta. The pilots told the Maltese Authorities that they escaped Libya as they were ordered to attack civilian protestors who took over Benghazi.
We had to work very long days as many things were happening and sometimes we couldn’t keep up with everything that was happening. We also had to keep up with the other work like sports, Government events etc.
This History Event thought me a lot. It made me a better photographer, first of all, I learned to see things faster even anticipate them, it made me learn Journalism better and also thought me that when people had enough they will rise to the occasion and no matter what, life or death, they will get to their goal which most of the time is Freedom.
Some of the images that I took during these events, won me many awards, from Gold to Silver Awards to the prestigious ‘Press and News Photographer of the Year in 2011’ with the Societies UK.
Awarded the prestigious ‘Press and News Photographer of the Year in 2011’ the Societies UK by Faye Yerbury at the Gala Dinner.
All these successes and awards were done with the Canon 7D DSLR and the Canon Lens 24-105mm F/4. I still have the Canon 7D and still works but now it is retired into my showcase of cameras. The 24-105mm lens I still use to this date.
