Montgomery Riverfront brawl

On August 5, 2023, a large-scale altercation took place at the riverfront dock in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. The incident gained significant media attention due to its violent nature, the racial undertones, and Montgomery's racially charged history.

Background and incident
On August 5, 2023, around 7:00 p.m., the riverboat Harriott II, carrying 227 passengers, returned to the Riverfront Park dock on the Alabama River in Montgomery, Alabama. In an interview with CNN, a white man identified as the captain of the Harriott II, stated the vessel had just completed the "5 to 7" cruise. The captain explained that a moored pontoon boat prevented the exit ramp of the Harriott II from aligning with the dock. There were no signs or markings indicating to the pontoon boat owner that the space was reserved for the Harriott II.

The riverboat's captain attempted to get the pontoon's operators to move their boat, but they did not. Passengers on the Harriott II shouted at them to move the boat. After failing to get the pontoon boat owners to move for 45 minutes, the black co-captain of the Harriott II and an unidentified 16-year-old white male deckhand were transported to the dock to move the pontoon boat. The co-captain provided a written statement to police, stating that he untied the pontoon boat from the dock "moving it 3 steps to the right", with the assistance of the deckhand. They were then confronted by the boat owners.

Video of the incident shows individuals arguing with the co-captain. A short time later, he was assaulted by a white man, who shouted at him not to touch the boat. The two then began to fight, with another white man joining to attack the co-captain. Video shows that multiple individuals, white and black, attempted to break up the initial assault. A white woman from the private boat attempted to pull the attackers off the co-captain. A black man intervened to hold people off and another man held the co-captain back as multiple people pacified the original attacker. One of the white assailants appeared to punch the 16-year-old white dock worker who had driven the co-captain to the dock. The initial assault was broken up in less than a minute.

Arguments and fights with Harriott II workers continued. A black teenager was filmed swimming across the river to the dock. He arrived at the dock after the initial assault was defused. Moments later, he fought with two white men and pushed a white woman.

When the Harriott II docked, crew members disembarked and confronted the initial assailants, which led to another altercation. The co-captain's sister was involved with this new fight and the co-captain "grabbed her and moved her". At the Harriott II, bystanders and individuals connected to the initial assault begin arguing and punching each other. A black man used a folding chair to hit a white man and a white woman who had been punched and knocked down by multiple black women. Some white people were thrown into the river. Police were contacted at 7:00 p.m. and again at 7:15 p.m., arriving at the scene around 7:18 p.m.

The predominant racial lines of the fighting led to allegations that the assailants were racially motivated in their attack.

The altercations were caught on video.

Aftermath and investigation
13 individuals involved in the brawl—including the co-captain who was hit by a police taser—were detained, questioned, and subsequently released. Montgomery Police Chief Darryl J. Albert confirmed arrest warrants for three men involved in the incident.

Arrest warrants were then expanded to another woman and a man hitting people with a chair. All five surrendered at the police station the following week.

The investigation was intensified due to the racial implications surrounding the fight. While the altercation mainly occurred along racial lines, preliminary investigations did not find sufficient evidence for hate crime charges. However, the incident has revived discussions around Montgomery's racial history, especially given the city's pivotal role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the Montgomery bus boycott during the Civil Rights movement.

Public reaction and media coverage
The video of the brawl quickly went viral, drawing national attention and sparking discussions on race relations in Montgomery.

Mayor Steven Reed condemned the brawl, describing the instigators as "reckless individuals" and commending the swift response of the police department and community members.

Writing for the Montgomery Advertiser, journalist Shannon Heupel detailed positive reactions to the co-captain. A 16-year-old Black male wearing a blue "crew" shirt, identified publicly as "Aaren," was nicknamed "Black Aquaman" after he dove off Harriott II to defend the co-captain. His actions were also praised.

The brawl was recounted in the song "Montgomery Brawl" by Gmac Cash.