The juxtaposition in the photo is startling: On the left, gesturing angrily, is a right-wing demonstrator sporting black clothes, sunglasses and a shaved head.
On the right, staring right back at him, is a 16-year-old Girl Scout.
An amateur photographer snapped the image Monday at a May Day rally in the Czech Republic, where neo-Nazis and right-wing demonstrators were met with peaceful resistance from counter-protesters.
The photo has been widely shared and has called attention to the Girl Scout, Lucie MyslÃková.
“She was standing tall and she’s 16 years old and she stood proud and made some profound arguments,” Vladimir Cicmanec, who took the photo, told CNN.
Cicmanec, a computer programmer and amateur photographer, attended the counter demonstration in the Czech city of Brno.
“We wanted to show the neo-Nazis that they are not welcome here. This year the counter protest was to make fun of and to troll the Nazis,” he said.
Cicmanec said he started snapping pictures after his friend pointed out the exchange between the protester and the Girl Scout.
“I didn’t hear all of their exchange but they were talking about the concept of nations and nation-states, immigration, refugees,” he said. “She tried to explain to him that nationalism makes no sense because we are all people and should not be treated differently based on some arbitrary distinctions.”
The Scouts of Czech Republic told CNN that Lucie described the encounter as a “sharp debate” which did not turn violent.
Lucie was attending the counter demonstration with 7 or 8 other Scouts, Cicmanec told CNN.
The number of far-right demonstrators were outnumbered by counter demonstrators, some of them playing music and singing, Czech media reported.
The World Organization of the Scout Movement shared Cicmanec’s photo on their Facebook page.
“People from all walks of life, and #Scouts among them, came to the streets during an extreme right march yesterday, to express their support for values of diversity, peace and understanding,” the post said. “Creating a better world!”
