As the protests in the wake of George Floyd's murder continue in cities across the country, it becomes increasingly clear that the characterization of them as "violent" applies much more strongly to armed counter-protestors than those demonstrating for an end to police brutality.
Case in point: a terrifying incident in Queens in which a man brandishes a bizarre weapon right out of a Wolverine movie and then drives his SUV directly through a group of peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrators.
The incident occurred Tuesday in the Whitestone section of Queens, on an overpass above the Cross Island Expressway. A small contingent of young Black Lives Matter protestors were hanging signs on the chain-link fencing above the freeway when an elderly man bursts from his vehicle screaming at the kids about throwing something at his car.
Which is bizarre enough on its own, but then he wields some kind of glove-like weapon with two enormous knife blades attached while he chases the kids around the sidewalk, before driving up onto the sidewalk and plowing through them.
In one of three videos of the incident, the man is seen driving up onto the sidewalk, narrowly avoiding hitting about a half-dozen of the protestors who are screaming in terror.
A second video of the incident from another angle shows more detail of the weapon the man used to threaten the protestors.
Warning: This video contains coarse language and screaming.
right now this man in Whitestone New York was threatening people with a sword/multiple blades and then drove right through them ..... someone find out who he is right now pic.twitter.com/BrHcZGRWMr
— moo (@lambomursy) June 2, 2020
A third angle on the incident shows just how close the man comes to making contact with some of the kids with his bizarre weapon as he chases them around the sidewalk screaming at them about throwing something at his car.
"YOU WANNA THROW SHI* AT MY CAR?" Man goes after protesters with swords on his hand. Anti-police protesters scream "call the police!" pic.twitter.com/tq35RWQFkp
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) June 3, 2020
None of the videos provide proof that anything was thrown at his car—though it seems a trivial detail given he drove that vehicle onto a sidewalk to use as a battering ram and actively tried to kill them with that vehicle.
Thankfully, in this case the NYPD showed restraint and the protest—which the police department characterized as peaceful—ended without further incident, as confirmed in an emailed statement to The New York Post.
On Twitter, people were horrified by this bizarre and frightening clash.
The white supremacists of queens are literally attacking pedestrians....
— moo (@lambomursy) June 2, 2020
he's literally on bath salts...pls be safe
— liesl vanderpump (@shakatcha) June 2, 2020
If I'm not mistaken his car has been seen circling areas of peaceful / protests / areas of signs at a few locations, even by myself and others. Crazy old man looking for a fight and to add fuel to the fire. So pathetic.
— Angel-Michelle (@AnquelMichelle) June 2, 2020
I'm starting to wonder how many incidents haven't been caught on camera.
— Agitated Outsider (@intorpere) June 3, 2020
And yet for some reason it's more important to send 400 pigs to a park to keep protestors from getting out of hand in broad daylight
— Cozi 🤧🏳️🌈 (@KingCozi) June 3, 2020
Wtf is bootleg, geriatric Wolverine doing?
— iamsock (@Iamsock) June 3, 2020
WTF is going on, are these people just acting out their Super Hero fantasies now? https://t.co/4mDy8V0BOg
— 🚨Pescatore News Network #PNN🚨 (@JoshPescatore) June 3, 2020
how many older white dudes carry these weird weapons around wtf in the past few days theres been this thing, a sword and a bow https://t.co/0j6ewQiiU0
— inugami🥐korone onlyfans (@thefreaking2) June 3, 2020
This makes me sick... https://t.co/GfCGOvf4TA
— Edrees Faiq (@Lowkeyedrees) June 3, 2020
Yo Whitestone is wild rn, son came out w a sword ?? How u have that much hatred in ur heart?? https://t.co/Rtis3oRFBO
— #️⃣AYKAY (@aykay_kelly33) June 2, 2020
Thankfully, there were no injuries, according to the NYPD.