Now the guy running the event is back on with his megaphone:
“Are you guys done hearing from people who do not want change?”
(Yeah!)
“Then what are we gonna do?”
(Tear it down!)
“We are gonna TEAR THAT MOTHERFUCKER DOWN!” pic.twitter.com/zmGy3eZKho— Richie🎥McG🍿 (@RichieMcGinniss) June 26, 2020
Washington, D.C. — Activists on Friday rallied in front of the Emancipation Memorial after a weeklong debate over whether or not the memorial, which depicts Abraham Lincoln ending slavery, is racist and should be toppled.
The rally, organized by Harvard University student Glenn Foster and his group, the Freedom Neighborhood, ended when a series of activists began shoving two journalists, one from the Washington Examiner. Before the scuffle, Foster and a series of other speakers voiced their grievances, saying that the memorial, which was paid for by freed slaves and dedicated by Frederick Douglass, was an example of white people “disempowering” black people.
“We’re going to tear that motherf—– down!” Foster shouted, pointing to the statue.
His exuberance drew mixed reactions from the crowd. While many cheered during Foster’s speech, two older men stood up and tried to defend the statue. One, Cedric Turner, claimed to be a descendant of the black man, Archer Alexander, depicted in the memorial. The other, Don Folden, a Washington, D.C., tour guide, attempted to give several speeches defending the statue as an important part of black history.