Gallery: Videos Started the BLM Protests. Photos Help Us Understand Them
Will Widmer for The New York Times01Widmer-003.jpg
"Those first two nights after the shooting in Baton Rouge were really peaceful. People were in mourning, but it had more of a feel of a block party than anything else. Around midnight on the second night on July 7th, there was a parade of cars just cruising down Foster Drive, honking horns and holding signs. A DJ had set up in front of a beauty shop and people were dancing. I was at the intersection shooting, when I saw this little girl holding a sign through the sunroof as her mom drove. She was only six or seven. She felt important and kind of a star because people were cheering for her. It was really loud out there, and she went between smiling and looking a little shellshocked. I think she had an understanding of what was going on, but the energy that night had a revelry to it that was exciting for someone that young." — Will Widmer
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"I saw this woman earlier at the New York protest on Thursday, July 7th. Police moved forward in an attempt to clear Times Square of protestors, and she was one of several who stood their ground, hands raised above their heads. As a white male who has not grown up with a mortal fear of any encounter with police, it’s a powerful realization to have when you see these courageous people putting their rights above their fear. Later on, the police brought in buses to take away the many people arrested. I spotted the same woman through the window of one—hands cuffed behind her back, partially obscured by an American flag. Looking at the difference between her expression and that of the white protestors behind her, it's easy to see for whom the potential consequences of a brush with police are so much more frightening. I felt as though the back seat of the bus symbolized how little has really changed for black Americans in the last 50 years." — Benedict Evans
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"I was at the Louisiana State Capitol at the end of a mile-long march from city hall on July 9th. There were about 1,000 people present, and everyone was participating in a prayer. It was late afternoon, and the sun had gone behind a cloud so the raised arms of the people fell into the shadows, making the poster of President Obama and Martin Luther King Jr stand out. I saw the poster earlier, but the contrast between the arms of the protestors and the faces in the poster is what made me send it to Getty Images." — Mark Wallheiser
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"A group of protesters blocked off one of the lanes on Airlines Highway near the Baton Rouge police department headquarters on July 9th. The officers moved the protesters to the side of the road and said, ‘If you block traffic, we’re going to have to arrest you.’ The demonstrators were angry and upset. People were arguing with the police, and I was photographing that when someone called out, ‘Oh my gosh she’s gonna get arrested!’ I looked over my shoulder and saw her standing there, then tried to get in position to photograph her. The woman didn’t say anything. She was very peaceful. She didn’t resist, didn’t say anything. She just accepted that they were gonna arrest her. The officers came and grabbed her and took her back to the police station. People were upset, but no one ever turned to violence." — Jonathan Bachman
Stephen Maturen / Stringer / Getty Images05Maturen-01.jpg
"On Saturday night, July 9th, several hundred protestors blocked traffic on I-94 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. People filled the highway, crowded onto a pedestrian overpass, and gathered along a fence on a nearby embankment. The police had already cleared the westbound lane, and began to slowly advance on protestors in the eastbound. I slipped behind the police line and up an exit ramp, when I noticed a shadow of these two figures jumping out on the side of a house on the embankment. The shadow came from a father holding his son not far away, gazing down at the scene. Police were beaming lights into the neighborhood, and for a brief moment, they were illuminated. I rattled off a few photos and, just as quickly, the pair disappeared." — Stephen Maturen
Annabelle Marcovici / Sipa USA via AP06Annabelle-Marcovici-01.jpg
"Police gave many warnings that they were going to arrest the protestors blocking I-94 in Saint Paul, Minnesota on July 9th. When they started using chemical irritants and riot control munitions, I made my way up to the packed pedestrian bridge at the intersection of Concordia and Grotto overlooking the scene. Police were firing marking rounds and giving orders to disperse. I was surprised how many people stayed. Something like 50 protestors were arrested." — Annabelle Marcovici
