Neo-Nazis allegedly assaulted interracial couple hours after White Lives Matter rally in Tennessee
'I was terrified and still am'
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Your support makes all the difference.An interracial couple was allegedly assaulted by a group of neo-Nazis in Tennessee after a White Lives Matter rally in a neighbouring town.
A white woman and a black man were eating in a restaurant in Brentwood when a group of around 20 to 30 men, dressed in black, sat at the next table and began to harass them. Just before the harassment began, the group had been at a rally in Shelbyville, about 50 miles away.
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, one of the group asked the woman to “guess” who they were.
“White Lives Matter,” she said. The group then asked her to leave her partner and join them, which is when the argument started. The woman reportedly went outside with the group to try to deescalate the situation.
“After another woman in the group reportedly began to argue with the victim, a man allegedly struck her in the face with his fist, causing a cut above her eye,” the police report read.
The victim refused medical treatment and returned to the scene to give a statement. The suspect that hit her was described as a white man in his 30s.
She said in a statement to Fox News that she and her partner were “truly saddened”.
“I am just shocked this happened and don’t understand why the business would serve these people when they have the right to refuse anyone. I was attacked by a gang of at least 15 men. This business allowed them to enter and leave going to there [sic] car to get who knows that. I was terrified and still am.”
One of the men in the video was identified as Mathew Heimbach, a known white nationalist and member of the Traditional Workers Party. He told MIC that his group had tried to “deescalate”, and “removed [themselves] from the situation”. He also blamed the white woman, saying she “jumped in and took swings at people”.
The video of the incident shows the white woman, whose face is bloodied, being pushed against the restaurant window several times.
Witness Annelise Werme wrote on Facebook, "It broke out into a huge fight with them busting open the face of the white girl who was furious with them for harassing them. I honestly can’t believe this is happening. My head hurts. I’m shaking and trying not to cry."
White Lives Matter also said in a statement to Fox News that the men were not connected to their group.
"We do not endorse or promote violence. The truth is, there have been a lot of sub groups who call themselves white lives matter and they are trying to put a racist tone to the movement."
Jerry Grim, the manager of Corner Pub, told The Washington Post the restaurant was half-full when the fight started, and that kind of incident was extremely unusual.
"Unfortunately, we don’t know much other than some people were eating and that turned into an argument," Mr Grim said. "Everything was fine and then all of sudden people started talking and everyone was yelling."
The police said the suspects fled in multiple vehicles. One had a New York licence plate and the other had a Wisconsin licence plate.
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