(Newswire.net — July 21, 2015) — Ku Klux Klan rallies are not unusual in South Carolina. It was during such a rally on Saturday outside the South Carolina Statehouse Saturday that Klan and Nazi ideology supporters gathered to protest against removing the Confederate flag.
One of the supporters dressed all in black – a poor choice on a hot South Carolina summer day – became severely dehydrated on a July’s afternoon sun and started to look disoriented. The state’s director of public safety noticed the man in distress. He then pulled the man with swastika symbol on his chest into the shade to protect him.
Officer Leroy Smith guided the man up a flight of stairs and into some shade while Loyal White Knights were loudly protesting on almost 100 degrees measured that day.
The moment was captured and shared on Twitter by Rob Godfrey, the deputy chief of staff for Governor Nikki Haley. The Tweet bore the following comment: “not an uncommon example of humanity in SC: Leroy Smith helps white supremacist to shelter & water as the heat bears down.”
The unidentified protester wore the insignia of the National Socialist Movement Party, one of the largest Neo-Nazi groups in the U.S. according to the Southern Poverty Law Centre.
The photo by Rob Godfrey quickly went viral and was retweeted by near 6000 people, triggering various comments, with some commenting that it is his job while others admitted they would not have done the same.
“He is a professional and did what he was trained to do. Color has nothing to do with his job. White dude will never forget it,” posted one black man. “THIS is the epitome of black forgiveness. And it needs to stop,” wrote another.
“Amazing! I couldn’t find it in my heart, and I am white,” other post reads.
Interestingly, analyzing comments black and white posted, the main question raised was if Leroy Smith would help white supremacist if his job did not obligate him to do so.
“I consider myself like every other officer who was out there braving the heat on Saturday to preserve and protect,” Smith said in a statement. “The photo that was captured just happened to be of me.”
Many comments, however, supported the gesture as a demonstration of humanity that has nothing to do with Smith being an Officer.
The rally was a security risk. Members and supporters of radical black rights organization, the Black Panthers, who many see as the ‘other side of the same coin,’ protested at the same time in opposition to the KKK rally.
Reportedly, five men were arrested out of two thousand attending the rally that day.