The most iconic protest photos of all time

Talia LakritzJun 9, 2020, 04:22 IST

A lone man confronts a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China.AP

Famous photos of protests and protesters have sparked movements and led to historic change.
Featured photos include a lone man confronting tanks in Tiananmen Square, a Black Power salute during the 1968 Olympics, and a woman's arrest during Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2016.

It's not just protests that can make history and lead to lasting change. Photos of protesters standing up for what they believe in can act as powerful symbols, putting a face to a movement and capturing bold moments of resistance.

Here are 10 of the most iconic protest photos in history, presented in chronological order.

One month before Hitler rose to power, a Jewish family living in Germany defiantly displayed a Hanukkah menorah in their window across from a Nazi flag.

1932. Photo 12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

This photo of Rosa Parks sitting in the front of a bus was actually taken after the Supreme Court disbanded Montgomery's segregated bus system, but it remains a classic symbol.

December 21, 1956. Underwood Archives/Getty Images

This photo of Rosa Parks sitting in the front of a bus was actually taken after the Supreme Court disbanded Montgomery's segregated bus system, but it remains a classic symbol.

This photo of a black high school student being attacked by police dogs at a civil rights demonstration made the front page of the New York Times in 1963.

May 3, 1963. Bill Hudson/AP

Photojournalist Bernie Boston captured demonstrator George Harris sticking carnations into gun barrels during an antiwar protest at the Pentagon in 1967.

October 22, 1967. Bernie Boston/The Washington Post via Getty Images

At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos staged a protest and displayed a symbol of Black power during their medal ceremony.

October 16, 1968. AP

When police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village, it sparked the Stonewall Riots and energized the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

June 28, 1969. Photo by NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

John Filo's photo of the aftermath of the Kent State shootings is credited with helping turn public opinion against the Vietnam War.

May, 1, 1970. John Filo/Valley News-Dispatch

Photographer Jeff Widener captured a lone man standing up to a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

June 5, 1989. AP Photo/Jeff Widener

Ceyda Sungur became known as the "Lady in Red" after she was photographed being sprayed with tear gas at an anti-government protest in Turkey.

May 28, 2013. Osman Orsa/Reuters

This photo of protester Ieshia Evans' arrest became the defining image of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2016.

July 9, 2016. Jonathan Bachman/Reuters

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The most iconic protest photos of all time

One month before Hitler rose to power, a Jewish family living in Germany defiantly displayed a Hanukkah menorah in their window across from a Nazi flag.

This photo of Rosa Parks sitting in the front of a bus was actually taken after the Supreme Court disbanded Montgomery's segregated bus system, but it remains a classic symbol.

This photo of a black high school student being attacked by police dogs at a civil rights demonstration made the front page of the New York Times in 1963.

Photojournalist Bernie Boston captured demonstrator George Harris sticking carnations into gun barrels during an antiwar protest at the Pentagon in 1967.

At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos staged a protest and displayed a symbol of Black power during their medal ceremony.

When police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village, it sparked the Stonewall Riots and energized the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

John Filo's photo of the aftermath of the Kent State shootings is credited with helping turn public opinion against the Vietnam War.

Photographer Jeff Widener captured a lone man standing up to a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Ceyda Sungur became known as the "Lady in Red" after she was photographed being sprayed with tear gas at an anti-government protest in Turkey.

This photo of protester Ieshia Evans' arrest became the defining image of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2016.