Montgomery Riverfront brawl

On August 5, 2023, around 7:00 p.m., the riverboat Harriot II, carrying 227 passengers, returned to the Riverfront Park dock, on the Alabama River, in Montgomery, Alabama.[2][3] In an interview with CNN, the captain, a white man, of the Harriot II, stated the vessel had just completed the "5 to 7" cruise.[4][1] The captain explained that a moored pontoon boat prevented the exit ramp of the Harriot II from aligning with the dock.[4] There were no signs or markings indicating to the pontoon boat owner that the space was reserved for Harriott II.[5]

The riverboat's captain attempted to get the pontoon's operators to move their boat, but they did not. Passengers on the Harriott II shouted at them to move the boat. After failing to get the pontoon boat owners to move for 45 minutes, the African American co-captain of the Harriott II and an unidentified 16-year-old white male deckhand were transported to the dock to move the pontoon boat.[6] The co-captain provided a written statement to police, stating that he untied the pontoon boat from the dock "moving it 3 steps to the right",[7] with the assistance of the deckhand; they were then confronted by the boat owners.[7]

Video of the incident shows individuals arguing with the co-captain. A short time later he was assaulted by a white man, who shouted at him not to touch the boat. The two then began to fight, and another white man and white woman of the private boat also attacked the co-captain. Video shows that multiple individuals, white and black, attempted to break up the initial assault. A white dock worker was also assaulted. The initial assault was broken up in less than a minute.

Arguments and fights with Harriott II workers continued. A black teenager was filmed swimming across the river to the dock. He arrived at the dock after the initial assault was defused. Moments later he fought with two white men and pushed a white woman.[8]

When the Harriott II docked, crew members disembarked and confronted the initial assailants, which led to another altercation.[9] The co-captain's sister was involved with this new fight and the co-captain "grabbed her and moved her".[7] At the Harriott II, bystanders and individuals connected to the initial assault begin arguing and punching each other. A black man used a folding chair to hit a white man, and a white woman who had been punched and knocked down by multiple black women.[10][11] Some white people were thrown into the river. Police were contacted at 7:00 p.m. and again at 7:15 p.m., arriving at the scene around 7:18 p.m.[12]

The predominant racial lines of the fighting led to allegations that the assailants were racially motivated in their attack.

The altercations were caught on video.[8]

External video
Witness videos of the brawl
Full Video: Viewer records as Montgomery riverfront brawl begins
Video of "Black Aquaman" swimming to the dock
initial fight immediate aftermath, co-captain restrained by police officer
Bystanders fighting next to Harriott II
Various fights on the dock

The immediate aftermath of the brawl saw 13 individuals detained and questioned, including the co-captain who was hit by a police taser, but subsequently released. Montgomery Police Chief Darryl J. Albert confirmed arrest warrants for three men involved in the incident.[1]

Arrest warrants were then expanded to another woman and a man hitting people with a chair. All five surrendered at the police station the following week.[13][14]

The investigation was intensified due to the racial implications surrounding the fight. While the altercation mainly occurred along racial lines, preliminary investigations did not find sufficient evidence for hate crime charges. However, the incident has revived discussions around Montgomery's racial history, especially given the city's pivotal role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the Montgomery bus boycott during the Civil Rights movement.[1]

The video of the brawl quickly went viral, drawing national attention and sparking discussions on race relations in Montgomery.

Mayor Steven Reed condemned the brawl, describing the instigators as "reckless individuals" and commending the swift response of the police department and community members.[1]

Writing for the Montgomery Advertiser, journalist Shannon Heupel detailed positive reactions to the co-captain. A 16-year old Black defender wearing a blue "crew" shirt, identified publicly as "Aaren," was nicknamed "Black Aquaman" after he dived off Harriott II to defend the co-captain. His actions were also praised.[15]

The brawl was recounted in the song "Montgomery Brawl".[16][17][18][19]