An elderly veteran who was involved in the shoving of a Black protester in Kentucky regrets being involved and tells local media that he isn’t racist.
During a Super Tuesday Trump Rally in Kentucky, University of Louisville student Shiya Nwanguma was called the n-word and other slurs as Trump supporters forced her out. The video of the incident went viral, and Al Bamberger — a veteran in a white shirt — was front and center, pushing and shoving Nwanguma.
The majority-white crowd looked on as confirmed white nationalist Matthew Heimbach, head of the Traditionalist Youth Network, pushed Nwanguma.
Others included Joseph Pryor, a man in blue who was discharged from the U.S Marine Corps in the aftermath of the incident.
After two weeks, Bamberger has distanced himself from the event in question. According to Raw Story, “The 75-year-old Bamberger, who lives outside Cincinnati in Bright, Indiana, said he was embarrassed by his actions and sent a letter of apology to the president of his veterans group.”
The veteran revealed more details leading up to the altercation in an interview with a local news organization, WSCH-FM:
“Trump kept saying ‘Get them out, get them out’ and people in the crowd began pushing and shoving the protesters,” Bamberger said. “Unfortunately a lot of this behavior was happening right next to where I was standing and having been pushed to the floor myself, my emotions got the best of me, and I was caught up in the frenzy. I physically pushed a young woman down the aisle toward the exit, an action I sincerely regret.”
Bamberger also said he did not intend to become part of the fracas. He just wanted to have a “good time, support veterans and see Donald Trump.”
In his interview, he wanted to also distance himself from the white supremacists at the rally.
“I am not associated with any type of racist organizations and did not push the young lady because she was Black,” he said.
Even though Bamberger apologized to everyone else — veterans and his family — he failed to apologize to the young woman he pushed and assaulted.
Bamberger falls in line with other white people who have done violent and abusive acts toward Black people — and other People of Color — then pleads for the public’s forgiveness days and weeks after.
The public will forgive him, and the assaults on Black protesters will continue at Trump rallies.
