Protestor and Police in Baton Rouge. Photo by Jonathan Bachman. Click for a larger version.

Every once in a while a photographer is in the right place at the right time with the instincts and skills to pull off a great image. This photograph could become a classic. Photo editor’s are already calling Jonathan Bachman’s image “iconic”. It is a powerful image.

After the shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge. Protestors gathered to block a street near police headquaters. That’s when police in military dress met nurse nurse Ieshia Evans. It has already been compared to “Tank Man”, the photo when a lone man confronted tanks in Tiananmen Square.

The story that follows (adapted from Time) is from Yahoo News:

“Bachman said officers belonging to several divisions of Louisiana law enforcement, many clad in riot gear, descended on the highway to clear the protesters from its path.

“I saw this woman, and she was standing in the first lane in that road,” he said. “It happened quickly, but I could tell that she wasn’t going to move, and it seemed like she was making her stand. To me it seemed like: You’re going to have to come and get me.”

Bachman further stressed that in contrast to the violence and confrontation that has marked other protests across the country (some of which also broke out in Baton Rouge later), this interaction was completely peaceful.

“It wasn’t very violent. She didn’t say anything,” he added. “She didn’t resist, and the police didn’t drag her off.”

Links

Time: Everyone Is Talking About This Photo From the Protests in Baton Rouge

The Atlantic: A Single Photo From Baton Rouge That’s Hard to Forget

Photoshelter: Photo Editors Weigh In on Jonathan Bachman’s Iconic Photo