A life in protest

Cuffed, kicked, and camera in hand – David Hoffman's new book Protest! is the result of 40 years documenting the fight for rights and the force against it. Peter Dench finds out more

- Peter Dench

Terraced house in a gentrified part of east London.

Red front door, blue window frames. Inside, it's cool - in temperature and temperament - and packed with decades of lived history. On every shelf, and clustered across the table, a porcelain police force stares back: teapot coppers, teacup coppers, jars of Plod and a windup PC Tosser doing what no law officer should be seen doing. A surreal shrine to the institution that has shaped – and challenged - much of David Hoffman's working life.

David, 79, is dressed in dark shorts, socks, moccasin-style slippers, checked shirt completely unbuttoned. He looks gentle and resolute, a man who has long known his purpose. He bought the house in 1979 after years of evictions and squatting, moving in full-time in 1984. The aim was simple: somewhere he couldn't be kicked out of again. Stability, so he could continue his life's work - documenting protest and photographing power with tenacity and an unwavering lens.

Hoffman has been at the heart of some of the UK's most turbulent demonstrations, often risking arrest and assault to document moments others might turn away from. His images aren't just a record; they're a resource, a challenge, sometimes even evidence. He doesn't consider himself an activist, but his photographs have become vital fuel for social awareness and legal scrutiny.

We sat down to talk about the dangers and disciplines of protest photography, the value of bearing witness, and how to survive - creatively and physically - amid chaos.

AP: From rag-week arrests to headline-making coverage: you mentioned being arrested aged 17 - how did that initial spark of activism shape your photographic voice?