Fans Celebrate The Montgomery Brawl, Dubbed ‘Fade In The Water,’ Anniversary As An Unofficial Holiday — WATCH!
It's been one year since the internet-shattering Montgomery Brawl, which took place August 5, 2023, also known as "Fade in the Water."
The brawl took place in Montgomery, Alabama, when a group of white boaters allegedly attacked Dameion Pickett — co-captain of the Harriott II — and asked the operators of a private pontoon boat to move so the ship could dock at its reserved spot.
Instead of being a good sport and letting Pickett do his job, this prompted the pontoon boat owners and operators to "taunt" and make "obscene gestures" at his request.
8/5/2023 Happy Montgomery Brawl Day ✊🏾✊🏿✊🏽🪑pic.twitter.com/xigOsFKRUm pic.twitter.com/BTezGOgTYA
— Junie 🅱️ucks (@PhonkMoney) August 5, 2024
A white man attacked Pickett before a number of other white men jumped in. At that moment, people from the shoreline — both white and Black — jumped into the scuffle. When attacked, Pickett tossing his cap into the air went down as a key symbol in the altercation — which fans joke became the universal call for backup.
As the tussle between the two continued, several more white men rushed in, slamming the Black man to the ground. Seconds later, a bigger group of Black men appear, challenging the group of brawlers.
The viral video showed a massive fight, as men were spotted swimming across the water to address the debacle. Dozens of videos were posted online by onlookers, even capturing a man getting hit in the head with a folding chair — another staple in the debacle.
We would like to obtain the chair that was used in self defense during The Historic August 5th 2023 Riverfront Park Race Brawl in Montgomery, Alabama so that we can put it up on display as an exhibit at The Hidden History Museum in Los Angeles, California
— Sir Maejor 🇺🇸 (@SirMaejorATL) August 8, 2023
The… pic.twitter.com/P0SJlyIl5R
"That boy swimming his [self] over there!" a woman can be heard screaming from behind the camera. "We got action, baby! Arrest they a*s!" she yelled.
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"This man just put his hand on me, I was, like 'It's my job,' but I'm still defending myself at the same time. So when he touched me, I was, like — 'It's on,' " Pickett recalled during an episode of 'Good Morning America' at that time.
Black Twitter, now X, is celebrating what they call The Montgomery Brawl, or "Fade in the Water," by making each other laugh, posting art, and sharing memes.
Reports say the brawl didn't result in any injuries; however, those who were arrested were charged with misdemeanors, per 'USA Today.'
