We Were Just Following shops Orders - Families Belong Together Protest - Set of Black & White Photos - Portland, Maine

On June 30, 2018, protesters gathered in 700+ cities across the United states. The Families Belong Together rallies spoke out against the Trump administration family separation policy. Leading up to this event, over 2,000 children had been separated from their parents on the Mexico/Texas border. The children were being held in a series of cages created by wire fencing inside old warehouses in South Texas. Many have compared the detainment of children by the U.S. government to the Nazi concentration camps.

"We were just following orders" - Holocaust Prison Guards, 1943
"We were just following orders" - Ice Officers, 2018

This is a series set of 2 photos. This shops moment was captured at the Portland, Maine protest 6/30/18.

Each image is a professionally processed giclée print on 100% rag paper, with a color fast of 100 plus years from fading. Each print also comes with an authenticated certificate from the publisher. The watermark will be removed from each giclée print.

*For those purchasing panoramic images: Panoramic sizes are approximate. Every panoramic image is unique in size so each print will need a custom matte cut to the specific size of the fine art print. Images are printed in the middle of the sheet to leave room for either direct framing or matte cutting and framing.

Julie Velez is a photographer and digital artist from Maine. Most notably, her artwork has been featured by Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS), the American Heart Association (ME & NH), the Maine Office of Tourism, Spurwink Services via Downeast Magazine, Occupy New Hampshire Seacoast, Mainers for Accountable Leadership, Instagramers Maine, Instagramers New Hampshire, Natural New England, Nothing but New England & Wild Mainers.

Her work is inspired by her adventures in the mountains and living by the sea. An avid hiker, thus far, she has summitted approximately 130 times on various mountains in New England. She completed the entire NH 48 4000 footers list within 5 months in 2018. In the 2019 season, she finished the 67, 4000 foot mountains in New England; which includes Vermont and Maine.

While the natural world is primarily her focus, she also possesses a secondary affinity for capturing historic moments utilizing a more photojournalistic approach. Her inspiration for this is embedded in childhood memories of sifting thorough the history books, learning about the civil rights movements from the 1900's forward. While attending modern day civil rights marches and protests, she attempts to contribute to progress by paying homage to the fighters & sufferers of that era through her black & white photography.