The woman who defied an angry mob of self-proclaimed Black Lives Matter protesters has been identified as 49-year-old Lauren B.
Victor, an urban planner who is a big BLM supporter.
In the video taken by Washington Post reporter Fredrick Kunkle, Victor is seen standing up to the group of protesters who were accosting unsuspecting diners and forcing them to raise their fists to show solidarity with the movement.
The forceful approach took place at several restaurants in Washington, D.C. where a large group of demonstrators approached diners who were sitting outside before demanding they raise their fists.
At one point during the day, the group also took an aim at Victor who, despite being a supporter of BLM, refused to give in to their demands because “it didn’t feel right.”
As the protesters chanted ‘No justice, No peace’, several people accosted the 49-year-old and in an attempt to convince her to raise her fist.
As the victim told Kunkle, she supports Black Lives Matter but didn’t want to raise her fist because “it didn’t feel right” being “coerced” into doing it.
“In the moment, it didn’t feel right. I wasn’t actually frightened. I didn’t think they’d do anything to me. I’m very much with them. I’ve been marching with them for weeks and weeks and weeks,” Victor told Kunkle after the incident.
As she added in an interview with Washington Post, it “felt overwhelming” to be confronted by an angry mob who demanded things from diners.
“It just felt overwhelming to have all of those people come at you. To have a crowd — with all that energy — demand that you do this thing. In the moment it didn’t feel right,” she said.
“On one level, my best guess was no one was going to hurt me. But those things turn on a dime.”
In another footage shared by Kunkle, the BLM mob was seen accosting a group of white people who were enjoying their time at a restaurant when the protesters demanded they show solidarity with the movement.
Unpleased with the reaction of the group, the protesters started chanting and taking close-up photos of the unsuspecting people sitting behind the table.
Replaced!