When people opened Twitter/ X today, they were greeted by a curious, trending phrase- ‘Black Aquaman.’ That’s not all. Hashtags like #Montgomerybrawl, #Alabama, and more were trending and still are. What does this mean?
A quick click on the trending phrase takes one to various tweets showing the same thing- a video where men get into a brawl by what looks like a dock.
But first looks can often be misleading. So what’s going on in those videos taken in Montgomery, Alabama? Is it really some group of rowdy men who got into trouble with each other? But then, why is everyone adding a racial angle to it? There’s a lot to uncover here.
A recent viral video showed a group of white men attacking a black security guard in Riverfront Park in Montgomery, Alabama. The white men were told to move their small boat because a larger boat wanted that space to dock. But a brawl broke out because they didn’t want to comply.
Soon the black guard was overwhelmed and beaten down. Then, a black samaritan rushed in to help the guard, and other black men soon joined. The Montgomery Police Department has made four arrests till now.
What Happened in Montgomery, Alabama?
The first video of the incident in Riverfront Park in Montgomery, Alabama, was released on August 7 by Cory McGinnis on Facebook. In the video, a fight can be seen between a group of boaters. A white man can be seen arguing with the black security guard along the docks.
As per reports and the video circulating, the guard had asked the white man to move his small boat so that a larger boat could get the space. But the boat owner didn’t want to move his smaller boat and instead escalated the fight with the security guard. Soon the white guy’s friends arrived, and the guard seemed overwhelmed as they all exchanged fists with each other.
The black man was down as the boat owner and his friends were beating him while he was on the floor. This was when a white short-wearing black man arrived and stopped the fight from escalating. He pulled off the other men from the security guard, and soon, other black men stepped in to help him.
The white men were now outnumbered and overwhelmed. To make matters worse, at least one man fell into the water during the confrontation. Since the brawl was between white men and black men, it was quickly given a racial spin online and by various news portals.
However, local authorities haven’t confirmed if there was an element of hate crime. Officials also haven’t released the names of the suspects who were arrested. However, it has been found that at least of the people involved in the brawl was a dockworker. Steven L. Reed, the Montgomery Mayor, said that justice would prevail in this matter. Four arrest charges have been issued till now. NBC News reported:
“The Montgomery Police Department acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job.”
As the video spread across social media, especially Twitter/ X, many people said that the black Samaritan in white shorts who first stepped in was like a Black Aquaman. This was a reference to the DC character Arthur Curry/ Aquaman, the king of Atlantis who can command the seas in the comics.
More information is awaited about the future actions of the authorities against the suspects.
What are your thoughts about this incident in Riverfront Park in Montgomery, Alabama?
Is there really a racial angle to this? Or is it just a group of white men thinking they should have the right of passage because they were there first? Is the internet blowing a fight out of proportion?
Let us know in the comments below.
Source: NBC News
