Yesterday, people were gathering around the Reflecting Pool of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the March On Washington and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's famous "I have a Dream" speech. 

Compared to the original march 50 years ago, there were some notable differences. First, the high level of security and the need to pass extensive security checks to get in. The whole area was fenced and there was only one entrance near WW2 memorial, with about a dozen or so security gates. Many people had to wait two or more hours in line before they finally made it through the security. Many cheered up, applauded or simply took a photo of the security booths after getting access to the area near the Lincoln Memorial. Could you imagine that in Germany? I can't. 

Another difference was that you just couldn't get close to the action:

The closest distance to the speakers you could get to was something like 500 feet or more. The organizers had put up big TV screens and walls of speakers, of course, but the whole event was more like watching a movie in an open air cinema instead of a real political rally. Times have changed.

So, as a non-accredited freelancer, there was no way to photograph the speakers and the action on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. They were just too far away. I shot a little story about the visitors instead and submitted it to Demotix.