Student Arrested for Wearing Gorilla Mask to Protest

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) – A student at East Tennessee State University has been arrested for disrupting a Black Lives Matter event on campus wearing a gorilla mask, carrying around a rope and trying to hand out bananas.

Johnson City Press reports that Tristan Rettke was charged with one count of civil rights intimidation.

Tony Casey/ Johnson City Press

Witnesses took photos and video of the man walking up to demonstrators carrying a burlap sack that had a marijuana leaf and a Confederate battle flag printed on it. Rettke told police that we went to the event to provoke protesters.

The university in a statement expressed outrage at Rettke’s conduct and commended students for exercising restraint in the face of offensive behavior.

___

Information from: WCYB-TV, http://www.wcyb.com/

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)