Driving into protesters speaking up against racial inequality and police brutality is becoming the norm for some white supremacists. During protests in Niagara Square, Buffalo, a woman allegedly shouted racial slurs and other derogatory comments before driving into Black Lives Matter protesters Wednesday. At least one person on a bicycle was hit by the woman’s pickup truck, ABC News affiliate WKBW reported.
Video of the incident was shared on social media, during which a loud sound can be heard. Other protesters responded to the sound, questioning whether someone was hit before it was confirmed. "She happened to come by, we was marching, and she ran him right over, she said i don't like y'all black lives matter, she didn't, racial slurs and everything, and just ran him over," a witness told WKBW. The footage clearly shows the truck moving towards the group of people, and several ran after it as it drove away.
According to police officials, the victim’s injuries were not considered life-threatening and were treated at the Erie County Medical Center. The vehicle in question was later stopped near a police and fire headquarters building. While the driver is reportedly in custody, no arrests were made as investigations of the incident continue.
The incident follows the heartbreaking jury decision in Kentucky to not file charges against the officers who killed Breonna Taylor. Thousands of people gathered in cities across the country to express their anger and pain at both Louisville, Kentucky and the country’s justice system.
"To stop police brutality. To stop injustice in these court buildings and this court system. I was taught this old saying, 'if the good do nothing, evil will flourish.' and it's about time we get stuff done now," a witness explained to WKBW about why individuals were marching. Niagara Square has seen a number of protests following the violent murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed at the hands of the police in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Driving into a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters is not a new phenomenon. For years, individuals have been purposely driving into protesters. According to USA Today, between May and July of this year, protesters against racial injustice were hit by drivers at least 66 times. That’s right: In less than three months, more than 60 protesters were hit by angry drivers. Many of the incidents have been captured on video and shared to social media. Daily Kos reported that between May and June, at least five incidents involved police vehicles. While most of these attacks show clear signs of malice, others have been deemed to have unclear motivations.
“The far right is taking advantage of the opportunity that protest repertoire evolved to include street blocking. They simply decided to target that,” Ari Weil, a terrorism researcher at the University of Chicago’s Project on Security and Threats, told Vice. Weil began tracking incidents of drivers attacking protesters following nationwide protests in the wake of the George Floyd incident.
