In September 1974, a federal court ordered that the busing of students was one of the remedies to be used in desegregating Boston's public schools. Protests and violence erupted in predominantly white South Boston. Opponents denounced "forced busing" and took every opportunity to organize and march in opposition. By April 1976, these rallies had become commonplace, and Forman, dispatched by the Herald-American to take a photo of the latest one, was in no rush to get to City Hall. Before heading over, he stopped first to visit his girlfriend, who worked nearby. The delay rewarded him. Because he was behind the pack of protesters and reporters, he had a long view of the melee. Using a Nikon with a 20-millimeter lens, he steadied himself and snapped. The motor drive froze, so he switched to manual, which forced him to take individual shots of the action. He didn't know what he had until he got into the darkroom. Later, some commentators would criticize the photographers on hand that day for not coming to the victim's aid. But in a sense, with his camera, Forman had.