‘Racist Punks’: Group of Angry White Men Harass Black Boys with Racial Slurs In Front of Cops; Social Media Dares Them to ‘Approach Their Fathers with That Same Energy’

Two Washington lawmakers are urging Tennessee officials to take a firmer stance against the rising neo-Nazi presence in downtown Nashville after members of the hate group harassed five Black children during a recent protest march through the city.

The small but aggressive group of white supremacists have been swarming the crowded streets of downtown Nashville for more than a month, throwing up Nazi salutes, chanting racist slogans, waving swastika flags, and celebrating with hate songs on the courthouse steps, and loudly disrupting a Metro Council meeting with angry outbursts.

City leaders have largely remained silent while failing to mount a response to the escalating provocations, but after the hate group targeted a group young children, Democratic Rep. Justin Jones of Nashville, and Rep. G.A. Hardaway, a Memphis Democrat, have demanded action.

“White nationalists verbally attacked and tried to intimidate these brilliant, beautiful, powerful young Black boys who were simply trying to play drums, and simply trying to enjoy their summer break like any other child,” Jones said during a news conference at the Cordell Hull legislative office building on July 24.

In his remarks, Jones said the resurgence of racism in Nashville was intended as “an act of intimidation that regresses us to the darker chapters of our history.”

The boys — Rontarious and Detonio Wilson, aged 14 and 10, Kamond Williams, 11, and Jaquial Forrest, 9 — are well-known in downtown for their skillful and captivating drum performances on plastic buckets.

On July 20, while the boys were performing, members of the neo-Nazi group began harassing them and shouting racial slurs.

Metro Nashville Police escorted the children a block away from the scene but then allowed them to walk home by themselves, according to Jones and the mother of one of the boys.

Clips of the video posted widely through social media starts with a group of white men wearing matching t-shirts with the slogan “Whites Against Replacement” on the back. One of the men is heard asking the young boys where were their parents.

The young boys attempt to stand up for themselves only to be mocked and antagonized.

“Are we allowed to let these little n*glets are make threats?,” one of the men ask while others laugh. “Can you arrest the n*glets? They have to accompany the n*glets to town.”

The officers escorting the boys did not confront the white men in any way.

“We know that this is about a deeper systemic issue and about a deeper threat that we’re experiencing in our state and in our city right now, with the increasing rise of white nationalist terror that is targeting our children now,” Jones said.

The incident quickly provoked a response from the Metro Council’s Minority Caucus, which “strongly condemned” the event in a statement issued online.

“Our right to free speech, though fundamental, should not be used to justify grown men weaponizing vile, racist language against children,” the statement said. “We denounce any form of speech that promotes division, intolerance, or incites hatred.”

At Wednesday’s news conference, Ashton Lee, Forrest’s mother and a close friend of the other three boys’ mother, delivered a poignant address.

“It wasn’t right,” she said. “I moved to this city, which is supposed to be free. And it happened anyway.”

Lee revealed that she only discovered her son and his friends were the ones harassed after seeing the viral video of the incident on social media.

“It just broke my heart,” she said.

Lee said the boys haven’t gone outside to play since the incident.

“It makes me feel some type of way, but I tell the boys that all the white people are not the same,” she said. “They feel like everyone is against them, but they’re not.”

She said no other Tennessee lawmakers had contacted her, describing their silence as “hurtful.”

“Everything y’all are doing is hurtful,” she said. “Please show the children you care, and figure out what y’all can do to help these kids.”

Hardaway called the neo Nazi group “disgusting” and “deplorable,” and emphasized that he was not surprised by what was happening.

“To have grown men bully and attempt to intimidate little children is outrageous, in this day and time in Nashville, Tennessee,” he said. “There is a climate that’s been created by the vitriolic dialogue that’s going on in the political arena in particular and we’ve got to tone it down,” he continued. “Those who support white supremacy: We’re going to call you out.”

Video of the incident prompted a flood of strong reactions on social media, with the overwhelming majority of voices condemning the actions of the hate group.

“F—king racist punks must one day taste their own medicine,” wrote @PawlowskiMario.

“Nashville is really regressing…sad to see,” added @Nebuchadnzzr.

Some voices said the group of disenchanted white men should pick on someone their own size.

“That’s just big tough guys treating little kids like that. I bet you won’t approach their fathers with that same energy,” said Lemlemak.

“Grown men bullying kids is not ok, regardless of race,” said @GeeFromNY.

“I can assure you those people are not Trump voters lol,” quipped @plannercars.

Still, there were some voices who tried to excuse the extreme racism as free speech rights.

One commenter, @Soy_Proud, said, “I just don’t see non wrong all I see on both sides is freedom of speech amen,” the person wrote, while noting, “and that’s coming from a ‘colored’ person but 100% American.”

One person, @4evaX_, asked why hateful behavior is protected under the Constitution.

“I understand the right to protest but why is it still legal to protect people projecting hate crimes. if you didn’t protect them, they wouldn’t feel comfortable doing it.”

After the incident, Jones launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the children, aiming to assist the family with school supplies, clothing, groceries, and potentially a new drum set.

‘Racist Punks’: Group of Angry White Men Harass Black Boys with Racial Slurs In Front of Cops; Social Media Dares Them to ‘Approach Their Fathers with That Same Energy’