White man accosts Arab family at Texas beach, shouts "Donald Trump will stop you!"
A man was caught on camera disrupting an Arab American family reunion last week in South Padre Island, Texas, with a nearly five-minute anti-Muslim rant riddled with racial slurs and shouts about Donald Trump and the Islamic State terrorist group.
According to BuzzFeed News, Alexander Downing of Waterside, Connecticut, accosted 14 people, including children, who were at the beach for a week-long family reunion.
Noria Alward, 19, filmed the incident and uploaded it to YouTube on May 5. According to Alward's post description, the imbroglio begun when two women at the beach approached her father for help, claiming Downing was harassing them. Alward then said her father went to Downing and told him to relax and allow others to enjoy their time on the beach. The video begins when Downing went back to his tent after initially speaking with her father. A few seconds later, Downing returned to Alward's family and started hurling racist comments at them.
"You're a fucking Muslim, motherfucker," Downing said in the video. "... You will never ever, ever stop me, my Christianity ... from rising above your sharia law. Your sharia law don't mean shit to me."
Sharia is a body of religious rules many Muslims follow when practicing their faith. Like other religions, various religious authorities interpret scriptures differently and come up with varying versions of sharia; some of them are extreme. Over the years, misconceptions about sharia — exacerbated by focusing on the most controversial interpretations — have been used by conservatives to ignite fear among Americans and introduce anti-Muslim legislation across the country.
Downing then started hurling the n-word and other racist epithets while also associating the family with ISIS. "Guess what? ISIS don't mean shit to me, motherfuckers," Downing shouted at one family member's face.
In the video, Downing is seen shouting and pointing his finger at the family. At one point, he starts referring to President Donald Trump and his anti-Muslim policies. "Donald Trump will stop you, motherfucker!" Downing shouts while pounding his chest. "My country is the greatest country in the goddamn world! Ever! Ever! Ever! Look at that! Donald Trump, motherfucker!"
In front of children playing in the sand, Downing then grabbed his crotch and said, "suck my goddamn dick."
The video ends with officers from the South Padre Island Police Department arresting Downing. He was charged with public intoxication, BuzzFeed News reported. Downing's arrest comes on the heels of a new report detailing a 57% increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes in 2016.
You can watch the incident below:
