A photo taken during this weekends protests in Baton Rouge is going viral. With many on social media hailing it as "iconic".
The protests began last week following the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The photograph shot by Jonathan Bachman for Reuters shows an unarmed young black woman standing peacefully in the middle of the street as two police officers in riot gear appear to be preparing to arrest her.
Another angle of the same scene | Photo: Max Becherer / AP/Press Association Images
It has been reported that the woman's name is Leshia Evans who is a 28-year-old mother of a five-year-old son.
Ms. Evan's said that she decided to take part in the protest because she wanted "a better future for her child," according to a lifelong friend.
The photographer, Jonathan Bachman, said that the woman appeared to be making a stand.
“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.”
Meanwhile, thousands of people across the world have donated to a fund to bail out those that were arrested over the weekend. More than 100 people have been arrested since the protests began.
The fund was been started by the Louisiana National Lawyers Guild and has already raised over $100,000. The goal is to raise $300,000 to cover the bail for every person who needs it and any surplus funds will be used to cover their legal expenses.
Prominent activist, DeRay Mckesson was among those arrested over the weekend and filmed the incident. Many people on social media have said that the arrest of Mr. Mckesson appears to be unprovoked.
However, police in Baton Rouge have defended their actions. They said that the arrests they made over the weekend were justified because protesters "were blocking the road."
Here's @LAStatePolice Maj. Cain answering Qs about why cops apparently rushing crowd unprovoked #altonSterling pic.twitter.com/9n4Ix89Zj8
— Maya Lau (@mayalau) July 10, 2016
Louisiana State Police spokesman, Major Doug Cain, said that most of those arrested were charged with 'obstruction of a highway'. This is believed to be the charge that Ms. Evans is facing.