"Ancestral beating": Big Harriott boat history explored as Montgomery Alabama Riverfront brawl video sparks hilarious reactions online

Videos from Montgomery's Riverfront Park in Alabama have been doing the rounds on social media. The clip sees several people engaged in a brawl over the parking space for the Big Harriott II Riverboat. The incident took place at around 7 pm on Saturday, August 5, 2023, when a pontoon boat was parked in the dock space reserved for the big Harriott.

In the videos, the people can be seen racially divided as several white individuals hit one black man, Jasmine Williams, a dock worker. The brawl took place after Williams requested a group of white individuals on a pontoon boat to move it, making space for the arrival of the Harriott II Riverfront boat carrying passengers to its usual spot, as per the New York Post.

However, the party on the pontoon boat refused to cooperate, which ultimately resulted in a physical altercation.

One of the videos also shows a man jumping off the riverboat to join the brawl. Many Black men then came to the dock worker's rescue. After the incident, several people involved in the altercation were detained by the police.

After the video of the incident spread like wildfire on social media, several individuals took to platforms like Twitter to react to the same.

Social media users react to the brawl in Montgomery. (Image via Twitter)

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History of The Harriott explored in wake of Montgomery Alabama Riverfront brawl

The Harriott ship has a long-standing history, as it was first launched in Liverpool in 1786. Initially sailing between Liverpool and Barbados, the ship was later captured by a French ship, but the British Navy was quick to recapture it.

The Harriott was a slave ship back in the 1700s. From 1798 to 1805, it carried thousands of slaves to Barbados and then back to Liverpool. However, post this, it was owned by Barton & Co and also cruised between Liverpool and Africa. It now serves as a relaxing cruise and is one of Montgomery's tourist attractions, which offers visitors dinner, dancing, live entertainment, and more.

As the brawl took place at the Montogomery port due to this ship, many social media users were quick to react to the videos. They sarcastically called the altercation a "display of unity." Many also highlighted the irony of the situation and linked it to the ship's history of transporting slaves.

Several netizens took to the comments section of @godfather250_'s post about the incident to share their views about it.

Social media users react to the brawl. (Image via Twitter)

Social media users react to the brawl. (Image via Twitter)

Social media users react to the brawl. (Image via Twitter)

Social media users react to the brawl. (Image via Twitter)

Social media users react to the brawl. (Image via Twitter)

Social media users react to the brawl. (Image via Twitter)

Social media users react to the brawl. (Image via Twitter)

Social media users react to the brawl. (Image via Twitter)

Many others also mocked its name, "Harriott," and tweeted:

Authorities are yet to specify if the detainees from the Montgomery port have been released. The charges and the names of the individuals who were detained have also not been revealed to the public yet.