Photographer and activist Misan Harriman, known for his black-and-white images of protests such as Grenfell, Black Lives Matter and demonstrations over Gaza, has announced he will step down as chair of London's Southbank Centre in the autumn rather than seek a third term. The 48-year-old, who has built a large online following and frequently shares his political views on social media, had faced sustained negative coverage in outlets including the Telegraph, the Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Express and GB News, which questioned whether he was the right person to lead the arts institution. His departure matters because it highlights the tension between a public figure's outspoken online activism and their role heading a major cultural body.

Harriman says the decision to stand down was actually taken in January, with the delay in announcing it down to "internal processes", and the Southbank Centre insists his exit is unrelated to the press row — though the Telegraph and similar publications have hailed it as a victory. Harriman, who describes online abuse and death threats that have left him worried for his family, came to photography only eight years ago after a career as a City headhunter, quickly rising to shoot a Vogue cover. The son of a wealthy Nigerian industrialist and nephew of an anti-apartheid UN diplomat, he was educated at English boarding schools and is the subject of a new documentary about his work, Shoot the People.