Photos: Twitter
By now most have seen video clips of or heard about the Alabama brawl between Black and white locals. The fight was sparked when a group of white people attacked a Black riverboat worker who, in doing his job, asked them to move their boat.
Members of the Black community rallied to the defense of the riverboat worker, with one teenager even swimming across the river to come to his aid as he battled the group of white individuals, The Guardian reported. The disturbing incident was captured in multiple viral videos and sparked conversations about racial tensions.
Steven L. Reed, who was elected Montgomery’s first Black mayor in 2019, insisted at the news conference that the attack did not characterize the Montgomery community at large, especially since the attackers were not from the city, The New York Times reported.
Still, Black Twitter had plenty to say.
On a Saturday night, Aug. 5, at the busy Riverfront Park, a group of white boaters encroached upon a docking area designated for a larger riverboat called the Harriott II. The Harriott’s co-captain, Damien Pickett, asked the white individuals to move their pontoon boat. They attacked him. Black bystanders rushed to his aid and a melee ensued. The Black community physically defending Pickett resonated deeply on social media, with observers drawing parallels to the enduring struggle for racial equality in America.
Symbolism aside, there were arrests as authorities issued arrest warrants for at least three individuals involved in the fight, revealed Darryl J. Albert, the chief of the Montgomery Police Department, at a news conference. Richard Roberts, 48, faces two warrants for third-degree assault, a misdemeanor; Allen Todd, 23, faces one warrant for third-degree assault; and Zachary Shipman, 25, also faces a warrant for third-degree assault.
A fourth man, Reggie Gray, 42, was wanted for questioning by the police after videos showed him wielding a folding chair during the incident, Chief Albert said.
“I hate fight videos, but THIS ONE is an exception. Black Americans, this is the energy we ALL need to have. Alabama understands the assignment!” tweeted Gregg Marcel Dixon, a Progressive Democrat who ran for election to the U.S. House to represent South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 14, 2022.
Veteran singer and actress Stephanie Mills posted video footage of the brawl and wrote, “In Montgomery, Alabama. These thugs jumped a black men, who was just doing his job. My manager @ampharris sent me this. He added the music. I don’t condone violence, however there are exceptions. I will go do a charity concert for the heroes with legal fees. I stand with us”.
Photos: Twitter
