Vancouver riot kiss photo named as Esquire's Photo of the Year 2011

It was an image that captured worldwide attention.

Now it has been given the title of Esquire Magazine's 'Photo of the Year 2011'.

Amid the chaos, tear gas, and police that were on the streets of Vancouver during the June 15th Stanley Cup riots, two young people were photographed on the ground seeming to be locked in a passionate kiss.

But as more details about the photographed emerged, questions arose as to whether the young couple were loved-up in an unlikely place, or whether the girl had been knocked to the ground and her boyfriend was giving her a kiss to comfort her.

A few days later they were identified as Alexandra Thomas and Scott Jones, and even they couldn't understand all the attention just because of one photo.

Taken by photographer Rich Lam, it was eventually revealed Thomas was hurt during the riot, and Jones had laid down on the street to come to her aid.