1 hour 46 minute video of before and after incident....[VIDEO]

[aikoaiko]

83. Agreed. Its a more complex interaction between three groups than I realized.

Here is how I would summarize the major movements.

The small Black Hebrew group (I think that is the correct term) are speaking in front of the Lincoln Memorial as is their right, but they clearly antagonize anyone who engages them including the Native Americans who are assembling nearby and even other Black citizens. Such is life in a free society. Most people walk away from them.

The Covington Catholic High Schoolers start to congregate around the Black Hebrew group from a respectable distance to listen and they lay into the students just as antagonistically as anyone else who came by (e.g., "pasty ass crackers", etc)

The Black Hebrew group focuses on the Covington Catholic High Schoolers and they respond in turn. Its ugly mockery and name calling all around. The high schoolers start to get close to the Black Hebrew group but are told to step back and they do. The mutual antagonism continues.

At some point, a few from the Native America group led by Elder Nathan Phillips brings their song to the high school group. It seems clear that he wants to get in between the two groups and approaches the high schoolers. He gets close (up the 4 feet) but slowly and not aggressively. If he merely wanted to go up the stairs, there was plenty of room to the right of the boys.

Then the high schoolers circle Elder Phillips and mock him. Getting much closer to him and the smirker gets right in his face. I didn't see any physical contact by anyone, but the video is a limited view.

That's how I would call it. The students need to be held accountable for their behavior toward Mr. Phillips. The Black Hebrew group says terrible things about everyone, but they stay in their physical spot. Anyone, and most do, except the high schoolers, remove themselves from the insults.

eta: To be clear to all who read my reply, I don't find the three groups equal in culpability. The Black Hebrew group says despicable things and if anyone wants to complain to their leaders or employers so be it, but they were just being them. The High Schoolers were not doing them. They were acting contradictory to their school's stated values and rules. The Native Americans acted peacefully, but they did approach the high schoolers. I had previously thought the high schoolers had approached the Native American group. The Native Americans did nothing wrong. There was no call for the high schoolers to circle and mock the Elder Phillips.