Protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies took the nation by storm on Saturday—but not without backlash from his supporters.
A modest protest against the “zero-tolerance” policy in Huntsville, Alabama was met with near tragedy when former high school teacher Shane Ryan Sealy, carrying a sign reading “ICE ICE baby,” stepped in front of the crowd and shouted “womp womp” and the notes of the hip-hop song.
Sealy’s outburst interrupted Kerry Holder-Joffrion, an Episcopal priest, who was delivering a prayer to about 100 protesters. “We pray for the children of this nation and all nations…We offer our love to all of our children” Holder-Joffrion said, according to The Washington Post. Although Sealy moved away from the scene, he continued shouting, making it difficult for Holder-Joffrion to finish her prayer. A few protesters followed Sealy away from the gazebo where Holder-Joffrion was speaking, hoping to confront him. Sealy soon got into an altercation with a protestor; although the fight began as a shoving match, it soon escalated as Sealy drew out a firearm from his pants.
“Gun, gun, gun!” one of the protesters shouted, according to a video of the incident posted to Facebook. Most of the individuals gathered dropped to the ground in fear.
Further pics of people on the ground and picking themselves up after pic.twitter.com/p6vA1m69Ik
— Matt Osborne (@OsborneInk) June 30, 2018
Sealy did not fire any shots and put the firearm back into his waistband before walking away quickly. He was soon apprehended by the police and arrested for possessing a gun within 1,000 feet of a protest. He was also charged with menacing and reckless engagement.
Sealy’s “womp womp” noises reference a comment made by Corey Lewandowski, President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager. Lewandowski appeared on Fox News last month and said “womp womp” after Zac Petkanas, former senior Democratic National Committee adviser, stated a ten-year-old with Down syndrome had been separated from her family because of the Trump Administration immigration policies.
But a violent interruption from Sealy was not enough to stop the passion of the protesters. Holder-Joffrian continued her sermon during the attack, shouting “We ask that you give us the strength in the face of the opposition not to hate, but to love. Prayer is stronger than hatred!”