Videos began circulating on Twitter today revealing a disturbing scene: A crowd of protesters with their fists raised in the air surrounded a lone woman, seated outside an eating establishment, demanding she raise her fist along with them.
The seated woman – leaning back away from the crowd that shouted chants at her – spoke with the protesters and remained calm, but she did not raise her fist or join their cries.
https://twitter.com/rawsmedia/status/1298078919527202816?s=20
Washington Post writer Frederick Kunkle posted one of the videos, explaining that a Black Lives Matter protest started in Columbia Heights before moving through the D.C. area where they confronted restaurant patrons enjoying their meals outdoors due to COVID-19 restrictions.
1) In a scene that played out several times Monday, a Black Lives Matter protest that began in Columbia Heights confronted White diners outside D.C. restaurants, chanting “White silence is violence!” and demanding White diners show their solidarity. #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/fJbPM76vb0
— Fredrick Kunkle WaPo (@KunkleFredrick) August 25, 2020
Shouts of “White silence is violence” and “No justice, no peace” drown out the conversation between the woman and the two of the protesters closest to her. Fists are continually waved in her face.
Ironically, this woman supports the cause of the protesters and has marched in protests for racial justice herself.
In a series of follow-up tweets, Kunkle identified the woman as Lauren B. Victor. “I wasn’t actually frightened,” she told Kunkle. “I didn’t think they’d do anything to me. I’m very much with them. I’ve been marching with them for weeks and weeks and weeks.”
One of the protesters who had been yelling at Victor was Chuck Modiano, a citizen journalist for Deadspin. “What was in you, you couldn’t do this?” he asked Victor.
“I felt I was under attack,” she responded. According to Kunkle, she said something felt wrong about being coerced into solidarity. “In the moment, it didn’t feel right.”
5) “In the moment, it didn’t feel right,” Victor said, adding that she also could understand their anger. “I wasn’t actually frightened. I didn’t think they’d do anything to me,” she said. “I’m very much with them. I’ve been marching with them for weeks and weeks and weeks."
— Fredrick Kunkle WaPo (@KunkleFredrick) August 25, 2020
Rod Dreher, senior editor at The American Conservative, shared the video with an ominous warning: “Soft totalitarianism is coming. Are you ready for it?”
Soft totalitarianism is coming. Are you ready for it? You had better be. My soon-to-be-published book explains what's happening: https://t.co/7En6AdLNUO #LiveNotByLies https://t.co/skt2wYIOtY
— Rod Dreher (@roddreher) August 25, 2020
