POUGHKEEPSIE – Two white men attending the Poughkeepsie protest related to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, were allegedly hurling racial slurs at black women as the marchers went past the men standing at the corner of Main and South Bridge Street, near Zeus Brewing Company. During the event, police radio transmissions referenced bricks being thrown at Zeus Brewing. That report was unfounded but appears to be related to actions involving the two men who witnesses believe were trying to incite violence.
According to one witness, the two men were yelling slurs at a group of young black marchers and telling them to “Go back where you came from!” One of the volunteer observers in the area heard the yelling and approached the men, along with protest participant Brian Robinson. As they got closer, the younger of the two men spit on one of the females. Robinson stepped towards the two men and put his arms out to his side to prevent them from charging at the young women. The younger of the two men punched Robinson in the side of the head. Robinson was joined by the observer and others to fully surround the men, allowing for safe passage by the women.
The men were told to leave the area and they refused. Moments later, other protesters started hurling rocks in an attempt to hit the men. The observer was hit in the arm, causing a bruise. One of the rocks struck the young instigator in the head, causing a bleeding wound.
When the rocks started flying, the observer turned to the marchers, screaming “STOP IT – STOP IT NOW,” and continued to yell for the marchers to keep moving. “We have your back – don’t let these idiots ruin a peaceful protest.” The observer says that she was shouting loud enough that it captured the attention of the police who responded on foot. A woman was following the men south on Bridge Street, telling them to leave. The older man said that he was going to get his gun and come back. The younger one turned and yelled “Now the rednecks are going to get their guns and shoot everybody!” Robinson told the police that the younger man had a knife in his hand.
Shane Triano was marching in the protest and captured part of the incident on video. The video was played for the responding officers in an effort to help identify and locate the men. Poughkeepsie Police Captain Richard Wilson said, “The people in question left the area and have not been located.”
Robinson said that he has no interest in pressing charges against the man for punching him. “I don’t think that jail-time would improve the guy,” he said.
Robinson was at the protest to promote racial unity and his organization, equitablefuture.org, and was handing out flyers to other marchers. The location where the incident happened was not part of the planned and approved route for the protest.
Captain Wilson said that after returning to Tubman Park from the Mid-Hudson Bridge, “A large number of attendees began to march from the park using several routes throughout the city of Poughkeepsie. These routes and marches were not planned nor were they authorized. These marches were monitored and controlled as much as possible using the City of Poughkeepsie Police.”
