Vendor Interview: Amber
Photo: Emil Lombardo
How did you get involved in selling DOPE Magazine?
So, basically, I seen people handing out this magazine and I wasn’t too sure what it was at first. I was in a dilemma because I didn’t have a job, I didn’t have any benefits and I was looking to turn to crime, which I had been doing. I was quite surprised when I said “what do you need?” and they said “nothing, you just go on a Friday to this place [Freedom Books, Whitechapel].” I thought it was a really good idea and I’ve not looked back since.
How has selling DOPE been useful to you?
I was actually, and I don’t mind this being printed, at the time, I was working as a street sex-worker, and it was getting to the point where girls were getting attacked and it was getting very dangerous. If I’m honest with you – this makes me feel upset – this magazine’s saved my life.
In this day and age, now we’ve got all this technology as well, everything is so difficult if you don’t have a fixed address. For example, Tesco’s in Bethnal Green, at a certain time of night will not accept cash, will only accept cards. If you’re hungry you can’t actually buy anything unless you have a card. So, a person could maybe nick a sandwich, and it just goes on from there.
Where are you selling?
As much as Liverpool St sometimes does my head in, you can’t help going back there, it’s like a comfort zone. I started off there and I know all the roads – when you do this newspaper, you see other vendors and you might stop for a 5-minute chat, like, how’s things going? And you kinda keep each other motivated, which is why Liverpool St is probably my number one spot. Sometimes I do venture up to Soho, that’s quite good, but mainly Liverpool St. There’s kind of an unwritten street rule – for example, if you see someone begging outside a shop, you don’t stand there and try and sell the magazine. it’s just a mutual respect thing.
Is it easy to sell an anarchist newspaper?
Let’s put it this way, it didn’t go down well on the King’s Coronation – it didn’t go down well at all! The thing is, it’s a newspaper that tells you what everyone pussy-foots around – and, a lot of people, that frightens them. Y’know, I think we’re overly polite, British people, whereas this paper, it says what needs to be said. You find the people that don’t support it are the people that are maybe police officers, maybe politicians, or things like that. Obviously, we all know that we don’t hear 100% of the truth. People need to understand that this magazine is not an anarchist version of the Big Issue. It’s completely and utterly separate. This is so good because you don’t need photo ID. It’s more freedom, it removes the obstacles.
