This Photo from the Baton Rouge Protests Is Going Viral
Of all the images that have been snapped during the protests in Baton Rouge, Dallas and Minnesota in the wake of last week’s violence, this one of a woman resisting the police has gone viral on social media, and news outlets are saying it’ll go down in the history books.
Since the police killings of Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile last week, Black Lives Matter protests have popped up in many major U.S. cities. One protest was taking place outside of the Baton Rouge Police Department on Saturday when freelance photographer Jonathan Bachman snapped the pic shown above.
The protestors had formed a blockade across Airline Highway allegedly when police officers in full riot gear began telling the protestors to move to the sidewalks, BuzzFeed reports. One young woman refused to move, and police rushed toward her to arrest her.
“I photographed someone arguing with an officer and then I looked over my shoulder and saw her there and she had every intention of not moving,” Jonathan told BuzzFeed. “She just stood there and made her stand. I was just happy to be able to capture something like that.”
“She was there, she wasn’t resisting, and she had every intention of not moving,” he said.
In the image, we see a woman who has been identified by the New York Daily News as Ieshia Evans, standing rather calmly as two cops decked out in SWAT gear and assault weapons are rushing toward her with with zip-tie handcuffs. Her dress flowing, she has been called a vision of strength for the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Some are even comparing it to the iconic image from Tiananmen Square “Tank Man” photo from 1989.
Baton Rouge 2016. Tiananmen Square 1989. If you lauded Tank Man, speak up for #LeshiaEvans. pic.twitter.com/92b0VWyWYE
— rahaeli (@rahaeli) July 11, 2016
Ieshia, who is a nurse and a mother to a five year-old son, was one of 100 protestors arrested in Baton Rouge on Saturday, reports Buzzfeed, along with Deray McKesson, a lead activist for the “Black Lives Matter” movement who ended up being arrested.
This. Photo. #LeshiaEvans Stronger than this entire unnecessary army #BatonRougepic.twitter.com/aFEjEVcwTt
— Mara McEwin (@maramcewin) July 11, 2016
This photo of #LeshiaEvans is America’s Tiananmen Square moment, when the ludicrousness of the authorities is clear. pic.twitter.com/YkJCgh5eCh
— Ben Finn (@BeeZedEff) July 11, 2016
Beautiful. Defiant. More powerful than her oppressors. She is the living, breathing statue of liberty. #LeshiaEvans pic.twitter.com/9J71uBxBXK
— CQ (@coketweet) July 11, 2016