Presentation: Eyewitness to the Resistance

Photojournalists on the Front Lines of Protest: A panel discussion hosted by Indivisible San Francisco and Pro Bono Photo
Thursday, 10/22/2026
6:00 - 8:30
Suitable for:
  • Adults
Koret Auditorium
Main Library
Address

100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

Contact Telephone

Indivisible SF presents a panel of local photojournalists from Pro Bono Photo and other news organizations who will share selections from their portfolios and discuss the role photojournalism plays in documenting protest, civic action and pro-democracy movements.

From the civil rights and voting rights movements of the 1960s to today’s social justice actions, the San Francisco Bay Area has long been a significant site of protest and civil disobedience. Who documents these fleeting moments of protest and civic action? Local photojournalists share their experiences covering pro-democracy movements and street demonstrations throughout the Bay Area.

Hear firsthand accounts from photographers documenting recent protests and demonstrations, view a curated projection of their work and engage directly with the panelists during an audience Q&A.

Pop-Up Gallery: A selection of photographs by participating photojournalists will be displayed alongside historical protest photography from SFPL collections, connecting contemporary documentation of Bay Area demonstrations with the Library’s photographic record of protest and civic action. The display will be on view on the 4th Floor of the Main Library from Sept. 3–Dec. 31.

Moderator

Jack Owicki, founder of Pro Bono Photo, founded the organization after coordinating photography for the Bay Area Women’s Marches in January 2017. A nature photographer and retired scientist, Owicki was formerly an associate professor of biophysics at UC Berkeley and a biotechnology executive.

Panelists

Steve Disenhof is an early member of Pro Bono Photo and has documented protests and public events throughout the Bay Area for decades. Now retired from his professional career, he works as a photographer and regularly speaks to photography clubs about event photography and related topics. His work explores the use of photography as a tool for documenting social and political change.

Steve will be joined by three additional Bay Area photojournalists.

Event Hosts

Indivisible SF is a volunteer-led San Francisco organization founded in 2017 that organizes protests, civic actions and other activities focused on democracy and public policy. The organization is independent and is not affiliated with or funded by a political party or political action committee.

Pro Bono Photo connects volunteer photographers with nonprofit organizations and community causes, including social justice, environmental advocacy and democracy initiatives. Since the 2017 Bay Area Women’s Marches, its photographers have documented nearly 1,800 events in more than 100 communities throughout the Bay Area and Sacramento.

Connect:

Pro Bono Photo - Website | Pro Bono Photo - Instagram | Pro Bono Photo - Facebook

Indivisible San Francisco - Website | Indivisible San Francisco - Instagram | Indivisible San Francisco - Facebook 


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A series of meaningful, civic-minded programs that empower people to effectively use their voice. 


This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.


Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.


Public Notice and Disclaimer

This program uses a third-party website link. By clicking on the third-party website link, you will leave SFPL's website and enter a website not operated by SFPL. This service may collect personally identifying information about you, such as name, username, email address, and password. This service will treat the information it collects about you pursuant to its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our Library services. For more information about these third-party links, please see the section of SFPL’s Privacy Policy describing Links to Other Sites.

The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.