Epic Riverboat Brawl in Montgomery, Alabama

The Montgomery riverboat brawl wasn’t just a random act of violence; it was a powerful display of self-defense and collective solidarity against oppression.

How it all started (see 3:28)

Montgomery police say they were called around 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 5, 2023 to respond to the 200 block of Coosa Street about a disturbance. When they arrived on the scene, a large group of people were in a physical altercation.

Circulating videos show the group fighting on the dock. Eyewitnesses say it started because a pontoon boat was blocking the dock where a riverboat was trying to dock. Damien Pickett, a Black riverboat worker, told the white owners of the pontoon to move their illegally parked vessel, which was parked in the spot reserved for the Harriott II Riverboat. The white men jumped Pickett after a heated verbal exchange. A number of people ran to assist Pickett who was outnumbered. Reggie Gray, a 42-year-old Black man, wielded a folding chair against the white attackers.

Responses

– Them young bulls advanced off of that boat though! Shirts off and ready!

– Sitting here watching and rooting for the folding chair!

– I’ve been to Alabama so I understand completely. The whole state needs that folding chair.

– 🗣🗣”LIFT EV’RY CHAAAAIR AAAAND SWIIIING!”

– May your hearts be lifted on high like God’s chair that was used to smite audacity and privilege.

– When I text you 🪑, that means you better have a seat before I hand you a seat.

This event at Montgomery Riverfront was literally The Avengers movie we all needed to see. We had:

🧢 HatMan (when he threw the hat in the air, it was literally a Montkanda signal)

🏊🏾‍♀️ 🧜🏿‍♂️ MerMan (that brother swam to the other side to answer the call)

👩🏽‍🦲👱🏾‍♀️👩🏾‍🦱 MontKandian Princess Warriors (these sisters came out of nowhere to deal with the ladies)

🪑 Thoronius (that brother’s weapon was the mighty chair)

👨🏽‍🦱👨🏾👨🏽‍🦲🧑🏾‍🦱🥷🏾🥷🏾 Guardians of the Riverfront

– And then someone made that movie.

Lemme post this on twitter where it won’t get taken down. #montgomerybrawl #riverboatbrawl #MontgomeryAlabama pic.twitter.com/JnMO1i0UyS

— Jadyn 🤍 (@jjalise05) August 7, 2023

– And then someone came out with a song, ’cause that’s what we do!

They Made A Song About The #MontgomeryBrawl 🤣 pic.twitter.com/sO73OSnlNl

— GMACCASH (@GmacCash) August 7, 2023

Names for the brawl:

• Alabama Brawl
• Woppenheimer
• The Battle of Whoop Ass
• FAFO

The chair is now known as an Alabama slamma.

Yes, people fell into the water and were thrown into the water. One 16 year old brother, Aaren, dove off the ferry to help the riverboat worker who was being attacked. Yes, many of us can swim!

Names given to this young hero:

• Seadris Elba
• Nautical King Cole
• Swimzel Washington
• OJ Swimpson
• Underwater Brother
• Scuba Gooding Jr.
• Aquamayne
• Sharkus Garvey

Update: The Montgomery Bail Fund is not collecting funds on behalf of the folks defending Damien Pickett because they were all released.

The Daily Beast posted the following details:

Jim Kittrell, captain of the Harriott II, was trying to dock the Harriott II, a historic ferry, when he came across an inebriated group who’d docked their pontoon boat in the ferry’s reserved spot.

“I asked them over the PA six, seven times, ‘Please move your boat two or three feet forward so we can dock.’ And they wouldn’t even budge,” he said. “And I said, ‘OK, I’m gonna have to call the police.’” Albert added that the Harriott II and its passengers sat idle near the dock for about 45 minutes.

Before cops arrived, Kittrell said the group of men walked away from their boat, so he ordered his first mate, Damien Pickett, to move the vessel himself. Pickett was taken to shore in a small boat by a 16-year-old independent worker, who was also later assaulted.

Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert said Pickett was “peacefully” trying to move the unmanned pontoon boat out of the way but the group of white men suddenly re-appeared and confronted him in a “very hostile manner.”

One of the white men pounced on Pickett after a short verbal exchange. Kittrell said some of his remaining crew then jumped into action to help their colleague and other bystanders did the same.

Three white men have been charged with assault for attacking Pickett.