Name/Title
The Defenders Series: Fatima BabuEntry/Object ID
PIE4273Description
Police in Tamil Nadu shot and killed 13 anti-pollution protesters on 22 and 23 May 2018, the single worst massacre of environmental defenders anywhere in the world over the past 12 months.
The demonstrators were opposing plans to double the size of the Sterlite copper smelter, which has been blamed for respiratory diseases and cancer cases in the nearby city of Tuticorin.
Fatima Babu, an English teacher turned environmental activist, has led resistance to the factory for more than 20 years. She says she has been singled out as an enemy of the company and opponents have tried to smear her reputation. The plant is now suspended, but the human cost was too high for her to feel any satisfaction.
She believes the violent response of the authorities aimed to silence dissent ahead of more industrial projects in the region.
“Something is happening in the world. Activists are being branded as terrorists, but we are not against the country. We’re very patriotic. That’s why we are doing this,” said the 65-year-old. “This phenomenon of destroying people and the planet for profit is not just happening in India. It’s across the globe. We need to come together for future generations. We need to be strong and courageous and hold on to our values.”Edition
Edition Size
5Edition Number
1Location
Building
BANKWorkplace
Workshop17Province
GautengValuations
Valuation Type
PricingValue
ZAR 5,800.00Date
Jun 20, 2025Notes
Each work in this series is R5800 ex VATIntake
Notes
Thom Pierce (born 1978 in Jersey, Channel Islands) is an award-winning British photographic artist, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.General Notes
Note
Claudia@workshop17.com