Native American leader of Michigan: 'Mob mentality' in students was 'scary'

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Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press Published 8:40 a.m. ET Jan. 20, 2019 | Updated 8:43 a.m. ET Jan. 20, 2019

For years, Native American advocate Nathan Phillips of metro Detroit has been fighting for the rights of indigenous people.

On Friday, his battle gained national attention, as social media videos captured his standoff with a group of taunting Catholic school students in the nation's capital. The video of Phillips, peacefully drumming and singing, while surrounded by a hostile crowd illustrates the nation's political and racial tensions.

Speaking to the Free Press by phone, Phillips, 64, of Ypsilanti, explained what happened after 5 p.m. Friday during the Indigenous Peoples' March he was attending and spoke of his history working for the cause of Native American people.

He gave new details about an incident that sparked outrage and criticism from a range of groups.

Marine steps between "beast' and "prey"

Prior to what is seen on the now-viral video, Phillips said he was in D.C. attending a Native American rally. Near the end of rally, he said he tried to keep the peace between a group of mostly white students attending a March for Life event, and a group of about four people with a religious group known as the Black Hebrew Israelites.

Phillips, a former Marine, said the incident started as a group of Catholic students from Kentucky were observing the Black Israelites talk, and started to get upset at their speeches. The Catholic group then got bigger and bigger, with more than 100 assembled at one point, he said.

"They were in the process of attacking these four black individuals," Phillip said. "I was there and I was witnessing all of this ... As this kept on going on and escalating, it just got to a point where you do something or you walk away, you know? You see something that is wrong and you're faced with that choice of right or wrong. "

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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/01/20/native-american-leader-nathan-phillips-recounts-incident-video/2630256002/

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Chi miigwetch for your compassion, your service, and your dignity in the face of hate.

[oberliner]

1. What were the Black Israelites saying that got the Catholic students upset?

[Johnny2X2X]

2. Huh?

Who says they said anything? And what do you mean upset? The students acted like thugs and Hitler Youth, because that’s what the American Right is breeding. The students were obviously a group of racist thugs looking to use their numbers to intimidate minorities.

[oberliner]

4. Maybe read the article?

Phillips, a former Marine, said the incident started as a group of Catholic students from Kentucky were observing the Black Israelites talk, and started to get upset at their speeches.

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3. According to the article, they acted up, too. But they decided to turn their malice towards

Mr. Phillips, a much easier target, than the Black Israelites. Such little creeps. Such little cowards.

[oberliner]

5. "These young men were beastly and these old black individuals was their prey..."

Is this any more reporting on this element of the story?

[catbyte]

6. What do you mean?

[oberliner]

7. What were the Black Israelites saying? How did the students respond?

How did their interaction begin? Maybe interview some of the members of the group? That sort of thing.

[catbyte]

8. Why? This was an interview with a man who stopped potential violence between two groups

and the MAGAts turned their venom on the person stopping it, a much easier target. What's your point? That Nathan Phillips had it coming?

[oberliner]

10. Nathan Philips said in this article that the students were being beastly to a group of old black men

So much so that he felt that he had to intervene.

"These young men were beastly and these old black individuals was their prey..."

It seems worth finding out what that was all about.

[catbyte]

9. Besides, how could a reporter from the Metro desk of the Detroit Free Press find random

kids in Washington, DC? This was a phone interview with a local man.

[oberliner]

11. The reporter could watch the video of their interaction (there's a 2hr version posted here at DU)

And then try to get the names of the Black Israelites and interview them about what happened.

[catbyte]

13. So what's your point? That Mr. Phillips brought it on himself by stopping a violent confrontation?

Just come out and say what you're getting at. What possible difference could it make what the Black Israelites said to the little MAGAts? The little MAGAts started BOTH incidents. If they'd just ignored the Black Israelite's blathering, none of this would've happened

[Farmer-Rick]

14. As a former Catholic, these kids just look like a bunch of Catholics promoting hate and violence aga

Seems the Catholic Church has gone back to its roots.

[akraven]

15. I thank him for his service and his dignity.

[UniteFightBack]

16. It's more like the band of puppy water pissers. Oh wait they're marching for life so don't even

do that...need to preserve it.