US | photograph New Contender for Best 'Occupy' Photo Female protester in Oregon takes pepper spray in the face By John Johnson Posted Nov 18, 2011 6:29 PM CST Copied A police officer uses pepper spray on Occupy Portland protester Elizabeth Nichols Thursday. (AP Photo/The Oregonian, Randy L. Rasmussen) When an 84-year-old woman got pepper-sprayed in the face at Occupy Seattle, it seemed like an easy winner for "iconic" Occupy photo. Not so fast: Photographer Randy Rasmussen of the Portland Oregonian snapped an image yesterday of a young woman also taking a blast of pepper spray directly in the face, and it's become an Internet sensation. The LA Times thinks the Occupy Portland photo "is destined to become an enduring image of the national movement." The protester in this case is 20-year-old Elizabeth Nichols, who promptly vomited and then got arrested on trespassing charges. The Atlantic has more background on her and on the photo itself, and KGW interviewed Nichols upon her release from jail. Photographer Rasmussen, meanwhile, explains how the photo came to be here. Read These Next Gavin Newsom has filed a massive lawsuit against Fox News. New York Times ranks the best movies of the 21st century. A man has been deported for kicking an airport customs beagle. Supreme Court gives Trump big win on national injunctions. Report an error