After short clips of an incident between students from Covington Catholic High School and a man at the Indigenous Peoples March in Washington D.C. went viral Saturday, people are now sharing full-length clips of the incident.
People across social media have responded to the video saying it shows the students were provoked and that the man put himself in that position. One video is almost two hours long.
The indigenous man, Nathan Phillips, said he stepped in to diffuse the crowd of students who were interacting with a group he identified as the Black Hebrew Israelites. Phillips is a Vietnam veteran and Native American elder of the Omaha tribe.
In this Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 image made from video provided by the Survival Media Agency, a teenager wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, center left, stands in front of an elderly Native American singing and playing a drum in Washington. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington in Kentucky is looking into this and other videos that show youths, possibly from the diocese’s all-male Covington Catholic High School, mocking Native Americans at a rally in Washington.
In this Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 image made from video provided by the Survival Media Agency, a teenager wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, center left, stands in front of an elderly Native American singing and playing a drum in Washington. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington in Kentucky is looking into this and other videos that show youths, possibly from the diocese’s all-male Covington Catholic High School, mocking Native Americans at a rally in Washington. (Photo: Survival Media Agency via AP)
The short video shows a faceoff between a Covington Catholic student in a “Make American Great Again” hat and Phillips as a larger group of students jump and clap to the beat of Phillips’ drum. The student appears to have a smirk on his face. He and Phillips are nearly touching in the video.
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In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Phillips said the incident started as the Covington Catholic students were observing a group of Black Hebrew Israelites talk, and started to get upset at their speeches.
Phillips said some of the members of the Black Hebrew Israelites group were also acting up, “saying some harsh things” and that one member spit in the direction of the Catholic students.
“So I put myself in between that, between a rock and hard place,” Phillips said.
The Enquirer has not verified the identity of the person who took and posted the video. One video seems to be posted by a member of the Black Hebrew Israelites.
In one video, a man talks to the students, who are gathered on the stairs outside the Lincoln Memorial.
At one point, a student walks down the stairs, takes off his jacket and shirt, which causes the students to yell. They start a small chant, similar to what would be heard at a pep rally. After that, the student puts his shirt back on and goes back into the crowd.
Shortly after that, Phillips can be seen walking past the Black Hebrew Israelites and toward the students, who have sat down on the stairs.