DC woman ordered to raise fist by BLM protesters in viral video says she ‘wholeheartedly’ supports movement
A viral video shows a woman from Washington, DC, named Lauren Victor being harassed by what The New York Post referred to as "anti-police brutality protesters." According to the publication, Victor has said that she still supports the Black Lives Matter movement, but like anyone, does not like to be "bullied." In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Victor who is an urban planner and a photographer, said, "I wholeheartedly support the Black Lives Matter movement. I also support an individual’s choice to participate in a protest, or not.”
The video that ended up going viral due to its contents showed a crowd of BLM protestors surrounding Victor shouting, "White silence is violence! Put your fist up!" Victor didn't comply and did not raise her fist because, as revealed in the Washington Post, she didn't know what the cause of the protest was. She also revealed that nobody in that group had answered her when she had asked them why they were marching.
“When they crowded around my table and started demanding that I raise my fist, it was their insistence that I participate in something that I did not understand that led me to withhold my hand," writes Victor explaining her stance. "In retrospect, I would have done the same thing even if it was crystal clear to me who they were and what they stood for. If you want my support, ask it of me freely. That’s what we do in a democracy.” Victor also recognized that while her video, which she called a "global Rorschach test," was being interpreted differently by many, they were "having a community conversation."
According to the New York Post, Victor had also said that she had participated in the recent demonstrations by the BLM movement even after she was surrounded by the group on August 24, when she was eating outside with a friend. In the opinion piece, Victor writes, "It is never okay to coerce people’s participation; that is just bullying. To be clear, this is not an argument against anger, expressed loudly, about terrible things that are allowed to happen. My desire is simply to see the vital energy that anger gives rise to be effectively directed to bring about important, lasting change.”
Victor also took to explaining that while the video looked "scary" she wasn't hurt by the protesters. In the video, one can see them just in close proximity to Victor, not harming her in any way. The video showcases many protesters close to Victor's face chanting for their beliefs, with one woman even asking Victor if she was a Christian. It does look like a lot to take in, but Victor also revealed that while in the moment she did feel fear, she continues to have "hope" for the movement. “This was a group of mostly young people of many racial backgrounds working together to sustain a movement to uphold Black people’s civil rights. There are worse ways to spend a Monday night," wrote Victor.