I find it intriguing that you find a bunch of random videos interpreted in a specific light to be more relevant to the sequence of events than reports in the media. I also find it interesting that you actually believe that it is more credible that a grown man acted in a childish manner than a child did. But hey, everyone has a POV based on their life experience and you have a right to yours.

Why didn't the school, who was responsible for those "young men", present your perspective as a way of explanation? If it could be demonstrated that a grown man went out of his way to disrupt a sacred ceremony to harass some children, why didn't they just do that as you believe you did?

@redbai These are not random videos, they are presented in sequence of the entire incident from start to finish. It's clear the boys were very far apart from Nathan Phillips engaged in some form of group cheers. It's also clear Nathan Phillips approached the boys and forced one after another of them to move out of his way until one boy stood his ground.

It will be interesting to see how the school responds. They sent the boys as a group to DC to protest, then a (bullshit little) conflict occurred that is being blown way out of proportion. It will be interesting to see if the school backs the boys or throws the boys under the bus. Hopefully the school officials with have spines and stand with the boys rather than Nathan Phillips who tried (unsuccessfully) to provoke them.

I looked at the video and what I see is a first nations man walking around beating his drum. I also see and hear a crowd of MAGA guys yelling something in unison. Then I see the man walk up to the MAGA crowd. But his demeanor or voice inflection does not change at all. The trouble started at 54 seconds in the third video when the tall white kid from the MAGA group tells one of the members of the first nations group to "go back to Europe where you came from". I am NPA so I hold no allegiance to any party. But I must say you are wrong trying to politicize this issue against the left. Check the link I have attached that shows WKRC's owners are the Sinclair Group. In recent years Sinclair's owners, the Smith family, have made several programming decisions that reflect a right-wing agenda.

[wcpo.com]

@kensmile4u Check out this link. It clearly shows all of Nathan Phillips's false statements about the confrontation. It shows him approaching the boys from a considerable distance away. He's clearly the one who initiated the conflict, and (in my opinion) the boys handled it quite well. Much better than you could expect from a group of high school boys.

[informationliberation.com]

@BD66 I don't agree with any of the interpretations you give of the videos presented. And apparently, the school in which the students go also don't agree with your interpretation no do many of those that were there. I'll take that for what it's worth.

@BD66 I'm curious why you don't see that a bunch of white guys with MAGA hats yelling whatever does not constitute initiation of a confrontation. Remember Charlottesville? That experience probably informed the context of this situation. Nathan Phillips is describing how he felt at the moment. IMO he is exaggerating the danger level because he had a large a group of his people and others who were anti MAGA behind him. But we must respect that at his age he was probably not very thirsty for a physical confrontation.

@kensmile4u Watch the video. He approached the boys to confront them. He has instigated violence in the past at Eastern Michigan University. The man was a political activist who was there to create a conflict. When he couldn't get much of a reaction from the kids, he made up a bunch of false stories slandering them. He's an absolutely despicable individual.

@kensmile4u The media outlets are all starting to realize they were swindled by Nathan Phillips, and they have begun apologizing to Covington Catholic High School. There may be lawsuits over this, and those would be well deserved.

@BD66 It will be interesting to see what happens going forward. I would like to know if these kids were on a field trip sponsored by the school. If they were then the school is probably in trouble because of the MAGA hats.

@kensmile4u Did you see the two hour video? The kids are just waiting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial like they had been told to do. Then at about 1:07 a group of Black Israelites starts to taunt them. Nathan Phillips and his group marched into the middle of the group of kids trying to intimidate them. When the one kid stood his ground, Phillips and his group left, and the Black Israelites started in on the kids again. Three groups of adults screwed up: The Black Israelites should have left the kids alone. Nathan Phillips and his group should have left the kids alone. The school administrators should not have left the kids alone in such a volatile hostile environment.

@BD66 So you have proof these kids were on a school trip? If so I reiterate that the school should never allow their kids to engage in political activity on their time and under their supervision. That resulted in the instigation of this whole situation. None of this mess would have ever happened if their teachers had done their jobs.

The other adults you refer to were probably reacting to the MAGA hats and/or the things the kids were saying. How would random adults know these were kids on a field trip? It's not their fault. Again remember Charlottesville?

@kensmile4u The boys go to a Catholic school. They were in DC to march in a Pro Life rally that day. The school sent them to DC to send a political message. That was the entire purpose for their trip. I agree with you 100%, the boys should have never been left unsupervised in such a volatile hostile environment.

I also agree with you that the adults were reacting to kids with MAGA hats. They showed no maturity at all. They should have left the kids alone regardless of what hats and shirts the kids were wearing.

@BD66 How would anyone know these were kids? The school was foolish when they put these kids in danger.

@kensmile4u it’s pretty obvious to me that the boys were 14 to 18 years old plus many of them had on the same school clothes

@BD66 I have seen other data in WAPO that says Phillips was there as part of an annual indigenous peoples march and not a traveling agitator as you stated earlier. The CNN link Quotes the school spokesperson as follows:

"We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C.
We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church's teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.
The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion. We know this incident also has tainted the entire witness of the March for Life and express our most sincere apologies to all those who attended the March and all those who support the pro-life movement."

[washingtonpost.com]

[cnn.com]

@kensmile4u Phillips was there for a march. The Covington Catholic Boys were there for a march. Phillips attempted to intimidate the Covington Catholic boys. When he failed, he went to the news media and reported a bunch of false accusations about how the Covington Catholic boys treated him and his group. The cowardly school administration issued that statement before they had even spoken to the boys and their chaperones. They should be ashamed of themselves for throwing their own students under the bus. I will guarantee you that once they have seen the videos and heard their own students and chaperones accounts of what really happened, there will be no more apologies.