The Year in Pictures 2009
In Motion
Young people rally in support of Iranian reformist candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi a few days before the national election on June 12. Photographer Paolo Woods says, "I had covered the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005, and my early impression was that he would be easily re-elected. But I quickly realized there was a very different atmosphere this year, with all of these unauthorized political rallies that were getting bigger each day...I was on the main road of Tehran, which was where many of these demonstrations would begin or arrive. There were thousands of people— men, women, young, old. It had more of a party atmosphere than the feeling of a political rally. People were blaring horns, riding their cars and motorbikes like maniacs up the road, dressing up in green, which was the color of the opposition candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi. Not far from this group was a pro-Ahmadinejad rally, so people were shouting in that direction. I just waded into the middle of the crowd and shot this picture. I was able to get only one frame of these two guys on a motorbike, because the way Iranians ride their bikes, you don't get that many shots.