A heated brawl erupted on Montgomery, Alabama’s riverfront, pitting people supporting a Black riverboat worker against a group of white individuals who attacked him for asking them to move their illegally parked pontoon.
The incident, which occurred on a Saturday night, was captured in multiple videos shared on social media and appeared to revolve around racial lines. Social media users shared the footage, highlighting the tables turning on the white assailants as Black individuals rushed to aid the riverboat worker.
Montgomery police responded to reports of a disturbance on Coosa Street, near the riverfront park, where they found a large group engaged in a physical altercation. Several subjects were detained, and charges are pending.
The brawl seemingly began when a pontoon boat obstructed a larger riverboat from docking. When the Black riverboat worker objected, he was assaulted by a group of white men. In response, about six Black men from the riverboat confronted the white party and, encouraged by onlookers, retaliated, beating three white men and two women involved in the attack.
Videos show at least two women being pushed or jumping into the river, whilst a number of the attackers were struck over the head with a folding chair, possibly the second highlight of the brawl.
This first had to be the fact that a man swam across from deck to deck to help defend the abused worker. One individual, partly identified as “Aaren,” was seen swimming across the river to assist the riverboat worker who had requested the white group to move their pontoon. Aaren’s publicist, Makina Lashea, praised him for his courageous actions in coming to the aid of his colleague during adversity.
Yo this is wild 😭
A group of white men attacked a black security guard after the security asked them to move their pontoon boat so the big Harriot can dock. They refused to & attacked the security guard.
A group of black men seen & went defend him by beating the white men 💯🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/Qzo3U3Kq1r
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) August 6, 2023
After the police arrived, the brawl eventually subsided, and participants from both sides were detained. Four arrest warrants have been issued in connection with the altercation, with the possibility of more following after additional video review.
Montgomery’s mayor, Steven Reed, issued a statement affirming that those involved in the fighting have been detained and promised that justice would be served. He described the incident as unfortunate and avoidable.
The brawl was not simply cheered because people love to see violence, it was cheered because Africans in USA who, like many others around the world, have been the brunt of white abuse, felt a restoration of confidence that by standing together against white power and abuse, we can easily win.
The truth is fighting racism has never been the solution, fighting racism is a waste of time. The real objective is to fight for power. Power to control our resources, power to control our destiny, and power to defend ourselves where racism rears its head.
