Student arrested after wearing gorilla mask, handing out bananas at Black Lives Matter protest

[tenderfoot]

An East Tennessee State University student was arrested Wednesday after going to a Black Lives Matter protest on campus wearing a gorilla mask and handing out bananas.



Tristan Rettke, an 18-year-old freshman, wore overalls and a gorilla mask and, wandering barefoot while holding a burlap sack with a Confederate flag and a marijuana leaf on it, offered bananas to students who were protesting, according to a report by ETSU police. He was arrested and charged with civil rights intimidation.

<snip>

According to the police report, Rettke said the stunt was an attempt to provoke the protesters.

https://twitter.com/home_skilletb/status/781197742857216000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

<snip>

The East Tennessean, the newspaper on campus which first reported the incident, quoted one of the protesters explaining why they didn’t react angrily. “I was going to let him stay as long as he wanted to,” Jaylen Grimes told the East Tennessean, “because once white people see how the counterpart of their same culture acts, they can just reflect on that and see, ‘Oh, I’m not like that. Oh, I actually might want to help.’ And they might want to push against what his thoughts and what his beliefs are.”

“Violence is not our answer to anything,” Grimes said. “Because once you fight fire with fire, it just starts a larger fire. And where there’s more fire, there’s more destruction.”



more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/09/29/student-arrested-after-wearing-gorilla-mask-handing-out-bananas-at-black-lives-matter-protest/

[Eleanors38]

1. And they say vaudeville is dead. Jeeez.

[deathrind]

2. Wow.

Credit to Mr. Grimes for his reasoned assement of the issue. It is one thing to talk about an issue, seeing it first hand can be much more powerful however.

[Hoyt]

3. Carrying a confederate flag. Another ignorant white winger, who'll be carrying a gun in a few years.

Great students just let him look stupid.

[procon]

4. Extra points for bringing a bag with a confederate flag on it to be even more of a racist jerk. nt

[lpbk2713]

5. He's wasting time and space trying to get a college education.

You have to bring the staff something to work with and this clown just doesn't have
it. He should give up his place as a student to someone who has more to offer.

[LuvNewcastle]

6. Kudos to the protesters for not giving him

the reaction he wanted, although I certainly think a good ass-kicking was warranted in this case. I would have at least held him down and made him eat those fucking bananas until he threw up.

[LeftyMom]

7. Public safety major. HE WANTS TO BE A COP.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. Lol classic. It figures.

This jagoff didn't realize he needs to join the police union before getting away with shit like this.

I wonder if he intended his little stunt to be anonymous.

Maybe he didn't think he would be arrested and uncovered.

I tend to think his racist acting like a fool is probably protected speech protected from prosecution. I don't see how this rises to criminal behavior.

But his name is now mud. For ever. His mug shot will always show up under any search by employers.

And yes, the school should kick him out based on student conduct rules.

[irisblue]

12. geez

[Buckeye_Democrat]

16. He's probably seen the racist cop videos. Monkey see, monkey do. n/t

[Calculating]

8. He should get an ass kicking for offending people?

That's not how our society should work. The situation was handled properly and he was removed from the area. No mob violence required.

[NobodyHere]

10. I get the feeling that this kid is going to get a nice payday from the state.

[tritsofme]

11. Perhaps I'm missing something, but I don't understand why this POS was arrested.

It would make sense if Rettke became violent or disorderly, but highly provocative and nasty speech is protected by the First Amendment.

Also, kudos to Mr Grimes, he sounds like he is wise far beyond his years.

[TexasProgresive]

13. +1

While I don't like what he did, why is this not his 1st ammendment right?

[Calculating]

14. Yeah

You have the right to make a racist ass out of yourself in public, even if it's not right to do so.

[trotsky]

15. He was charged with breaking this law:

http://www.tncrimlaw.com/TPI_Crim/30_02.htm

Seems to have violated either A or B. (Its provisions say either injure *or* coerce.)

Ooh, just noticed this footnote at the end:

2. It is a Class A misdemeanor for a person to wear a mask or disguise with the intent to violate Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-309(b).

[tritsofme]

17. Interesting, thanks. I can see the mask being a public safety issue

But I have doubts the "intimidation" provisions would stand up to scrutiny in a case like this.

[Warren DeMontague]

20. I suspect the defense would be, this is political speech, protected by the 1st Amendment.

I don't see this criminal charge going anywhere.

[yardwork]

21. I think it was the nooses he was handing out with the bananas.

[Warren DeMontague]

23. yeah, that might change it.

Because in that context it could be argued to be an act of deliberate intimidation/threat.

[smirkymonkey]

18. What a dick!

I'd like to see him try that in NYC. He'd have his ass handed to him.

[Warren DeMontague]

19. Constitutionally, I suspect they're going to have trouble making that charge stick, mask or no.

And no, just because I recognize the 1st Amendment right of someone to be an unrepentant racist fuckstick, doesn't mean I support unrepentant racist fuckstickerry.

Just so we're clear.

[JanMichael]

22. What a vile vile creature. Props to the dude in the photo for not flattening him.

It showed a magnificent level of personal constraint and control.

The scum nozzle was making a very obvious racial insult and was intentionally trying to insult people bad enough to knock his two teeth out.

Fail.