A photo of a young Sudanese passionately leading chants in Nationwide anti-government protest has gone viral and has already become an iconic image of the powerful role that women are playing in the movement.
On Monday evening as thousands of people took to the streets in the capital of Khartoum demanding that President Omar al-Bashir step down, local photographer Lana Haroun captured 22-year-old Alaa Salah standing on top of a car above a sea of people with her arm raised in the air, finger pointed toward the sky.
Dozens of people surrounding her can be seen recording her with their phones.
The image quickly went viral as people tweeted the image, praising Sudanese women for taking charge in the demonstrations. Some claimed that the photo of Salah belonged in history books
Alaa Salah 22yrs…“I wanted to get (on the car) and speak to the people against racism and tribalism in all its forms, which affects everyone across all walks of life,” “I wanted to speak on behalf of the youth..I wanted to come out and say that Sudan is for all,”
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is under house arrest in the wake of Thursday morning’s military coup, which has forced him to step down after 30 years in power marked by a brutal and dictatorial leadership, according to reports.
Earlier, government sources confirmed Bashir had stepped down in the wake of country-wide anti-government protests that have engulfed the country since last December. The military has taken over national TV and radio and arrested a number of former and current top leaders. Khartoum Airport has been closed.