Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann issued a public statement Sunday evening in response to the controversy over a viral video showing a confrontation between a Native American activist and him and his fellow students at the March for Life in Washington, DC, on Friday.
Sandmann, a junior, identified himself as the student at the front of the crowd in the video, and described the media reports about the confrontation as “misinformation and outright lies.”
The statement was issued by a public relations firm on behalf of Sandmann and his family, NBC News reported.
Native American activist Nathan Phillips said that the students had been “beastly” toward a group of black activists nearby, and that he felt “threatened” by them.
When more video evidence emerged, however, it seemed that the black activists — radicals from an obscure religious sect — had taunted the students with racial and homophobic slurs, and that Phillips had approached the students rather than the other way around.
Sandmann described the scene:
When we arrived, we noticed four African American protestors who were also on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. I am not sure what they were protesting, and I did not interact with them. I did hear them direct derogatory insults at our school group.
…
Because we were being loudly attacked in public, a student in our group asked one of our teacher chaperones to begin our school spirit chants … I did not witness or hear any students chant “build that wall” or anything hateful or racist at that time. Assertions to the contrary are simply false.
…
After a few minutes of chanting, the Native American protestors, whom I hadn’t previously notices, approached our group. The Native American protestors had drums and were accompanied by at least one person with a camera.
…
I believed that remaining motionless and calm, I was helping to defuse the situation. … I said a silent prayer that the situation would not get out of hand.
…
I was not intentionally making faces at the protestor. I did smile at one point because I wanted him to know that I was not going to become angry … I am a faithful Christian and practicing Catholic, and I always try to live up to the ideals my faith teaches me — to remain respectful of others, and to take no action that would lead to conflict or violence.
…
I am being called every name in the book, including a racist …
I have received physical and death threats via social media, as well as hateful insults.
The mayor of Covington, Kentucky, the school, and the Catholic diocese condemned the students’ alleged behavior based on the viral video and media reports. The school and the diocese also announced that the students involved faced expulsion. Hollywood celebrities called for the students — all of whom are minors — to be “doxxed” (that is, to have their personal information released online) or even punched.
source: breitbart.com
The Mayor, the school, and the diocese should of prayed for some wisdom,enlightenment and guidance before putting all there faith in the mainstream media. Here we go again guilty without all the evidence.
the white man is the one being attacked by what passes as the media,this so called attack on the indian was a setup,i watched the entire video,and if smiling while someone beats a drum in your ear is attacking,well…….
Like a pancake…there are two sides to every story!!!
It use to be Pocahontas now its the real Pocahontas and the libtards :Pelosi,Behar,Hillary, Carrey, Waters, Shepard, the lemon, Ocasio are just some of the poster girls in the godless deranged NAZI Commie Demoncrat party!!!
I agree .
I agree!
Also Tlaib,and Omar!
I said agree .
I agree with N .
What us happening us horrendous. Nor is it a first, as you all know. It’s time for our Republicans in Congress to step up. It’s time for those celebrities who advocate doxing and/ or violence to be slapped with a lawsuit or legal ramifications. This isn’t the America that I know..or want. Bullies on the left threatening young adults..some example of America to other countries. In their need to label everyone who supports Trump a racist…or worse… they show that they are the bigots…the racists. For shame.
The activist was certainly the aggressor and should be held accountable,not the students . Once again the liberal mess have gotten it wrong and spread propaganda as usual ! Leave the students the hell alone !
I watched that video. I agree with the students. They stood perfectly controlled. It was the Native American and the black man that was doing all the yelling and out of control behaviors. Why do theses leftists lie so bad. They had the videos on and it was proof of who was at fault.
This is hypocritical equine feces. They practiced there constitutional right to protest and let their feelings be known. Were nonconfrontational, respectful and upheld the Tenants of the Catholic faith. With the recent Adverse statements about Catholicism I would think that Catholic institutions would take pride in their parishioners letting people know they are not intimidated. They deserve praise not expulsion
Is there anything said or done that the libtards don’t destroy. I’m sure they’d eat their own mother. They are all hateful beings….their day of accountability is coming..
YOUR TAUGHT RACISM!
Anyone who acknowledges these white catholic school students activity in DC on an indigenous elder man as it being good or proud of white catholic student are the ones to blame too.
White Racist People always LIE to cover it up. When Columbus landed here, white people wanted our land so indigenous people were massacred and fed gov gave small pox blankets to my indigenous ancestors all for our land. White people will not educate on the truth of what the U.S. was built on in their white schools. That is the genocides of the Indigenous People.
White people are afraid of losing control.
Also when U.S. was being created the Indigenous people were taken from their families and put in boarding schools associated with catholic church wherevwhite people abused indigenous children. Such as their mouths were washed out with soap or beating or no food for speaking their indigenous tongue. There also was rape and sexual abuse! Indigenous childrens’ hair was cut off because white people wanted to us to forget who Indigenous people are.
WE STILL HERE! Thank God for Phones and social media. The real truth comes out!!
Deep State traitors are everywhere!The evil liberal demoncrat Commie Nazi’s party at work here!Don’t forget the RINOs(Grahams,Romney,Gowdy,Ryan, Rubio, Sessions, Collins, Flake, Haley)they’re just as bad! Drain the rat infested Swamp,Pres Trump!
One can take anything ”good” and cheapen it, lie about it, exaggerate it, and make a mockery of it. Or one can take the ”evil” and rearrange it, repackage it, re-market it, and try to make it good; but it is still compost. The good, the truth, the real will stand the test of time. What goes around, comes around.
My big take-away from this is that the adults — both school and town — should have waited until the whole story was known. They should all know already how videos can be edited to show what one wants them to show. All of these adults should apologize to the boys both privately and publicly.
Do you know how stupid and juvenile you sound? NO I GUESS YOU DON’T! GROW UP AND GET A REAL LIFE!
People this is classic democrat manipulation for a desired outcome total control communism and the main stream media is all in on the charade. Make no mistake be ready for a fight to defend our Constitutional Republic.
Agree!
It’s a shame how the Democratic Party has lost control over extremists and socialist from taking over control of the Democratic Party, this is a good example that when your divided evil can move in and you become blind to what you do. Without God this grate country will fall for He is the foundation of our America stop leaning on your own understanding for your heart will deceive you with the lust for power and riches, I pray God will have mercy on our country men, God said return unto me and I’ll return unto you and I will heal your land, do this and make Amercia great again. Here lies the hope for the future of our country, what do you believe in?
OMG………………..What has happened to our world that it has become so insane?? WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH THE MEDIA WHO DON’T BOTHER TO CHECK THE FACTS BEFORE THEY START THROWING INSULTS AND HORRIBLE LIES AT MINORS???THEY ARE SO QUICK TO GO AFTER ANYONE INVOLVED WITH TRUMP BECAUSE THEY HATE HIM SO MUCH THAT THEY GO AFTER INNOCENT KIDS WHO DID NOTHING WRONG. I HOPE ALL THESE KIDS GET ATTORNEYS AND SUE THE MAYOR OF COVINGTON KY, THEIR SCHOOL, THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE AND ANYONE ELSE WHO THREATENED THEM ON TWITTER OR ANYWHERE ELSE. THEN THIS ACTIVIST MR PHILLIPS WHO LIED AND MISREPRESENTED WHAT WENT ON SHOULD ALSO BE PUNISHED. WAS HE TRYING TO START A RIOT?WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THIS GUY??
Hope he died all these evil reporters
This is such a terrible, sad situation. Americans are being thrown against each other … for such wrong reasons. We need to pray for each other … forgive each other … do the right thing!! Work together to be proud of our country, and quit doing the WRONG THINGS, like abortion!!!
Anybody have the slightest interest in how a registered, permitted march by these kids, was accosted by the ‘Indian activist with a history of exactly the same confrontations and accusations? Seems very apparent that some one in the permitting office is performing political actions by reporting Permits.. to… someone..
I am remembered how an ex-Obama official got the permit for the Charlottesville march and an ex-Obama official running OFA got OFA/BLM/LaRaza to show up so to assure a fight resulted.
This is the larger story.. as this sort of thing is ever to happen again and again.. as… someone… is setting up the incidents..
You never will hear both side of the story in the main stream media!
There’s plenty of evidence of that! Like when a CNN reporter was allowed to approach Pelosi and talk with her and just moments before another reporter was blocked by secret service and wasn’t allowed to talk with Nasty Pelosi!, the left will stop at any cost to push their agenda!
Leave the Kids alone. They have as much right to their opinion, whether you agree with it or not, as you do. I believe it is unethical and immoral to desecrate and American Flag, but the people who do that have as much right to do that as I do not to. That is what AMERICA is about.
I stand behind the Catholic students 100%. When this news first came out there was a statement written that Nathan Phillips is a known victim. Now I have not seen that reported again. I wish I had saved the media who reported it but can pretty much say it was not CNN or CSPAN or BUZZFEED. I also saw the video where some people were yelling “go back to Europe you don’t belong here, you took our land away.” I have not seen that either again. First Nathan Phillips was siding with the students saying he was trying to stop the situation from escalating. Now his tune has did a 360 and says the boy was blocking him from going forward and the students were surrounding him and he felt threatened. He approached them that has been established. Hummm who’s the victim here? Is he being coached by the libs and media???
Hello, I just want to reaffirm, and state very CLEAR, that from the beginning of the video, on the so senseless controversy from this guy, Nathan Phillips, head of these American natives, and the group of students from the catholic church, that the small group of black Jewish?? , and the American Indians, they were speaking and grudging, with some bitterness in their tone of voice, making just stupid political statements , with pretty much bitterness in their tone of voice,
even misquoting verses from THE WORD OF GOD, all messed up, and so I’m positive that this group of young people didn’t do anything wrong, TRUST ME. Since we all have in our country free liberty of speech, and we just have become just so accustomed to see all types of people around in many public places, across our country that just PREFER to be a bunch of COMPLAINERS, instead to PREFER to be, and become a real productive individuals in our American society, where EVERY SINGLE PERSON have all types of opportunities for life, in so many different kinds of jobs, school careers, etc,etc, to become very successful in life, even a real rigthous model person, in our entire society, and in our country as well, NO EXCUSES for anybody, regardless of the color of our skin!! in fact, The LORD GOD, HIMSELF said ” And you will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH, Will Set you FREE” so let’s just be honest in All our SPEECHES. For also it is written ” IF ANY ONE WILL NOT WORK,
NEITHER SHALL HE EAT”. Think about it.