JOPLIN, Mo. –“It feels weird saying someone assaulted me still, it feels surreal”
Unique Moore was a participant in the march for reproductive freedom on Saturday, a protest opposing a new Texas abortion law.
During the rally, counter-protesters showed up to oppose the event. Some from the original event decided to go over, including Moore.
“So a couple of the people decided that they wanted to take up space in kind of the area that they were in…They were met with anger vulgarity, shoves and getting up in our faces”, said Jamie Lindsey, organizer of Saturday’s protest.
But when protesters from the women’s rights rally clashed with counter-protesters, that’s when Moore says things got ugly.
“That’s when I noticed things were getting really heated, really badly.”
Moore said she attempted to de-escalate a situation between protestors and those countering, and got caught up in the situation.
“It felt like he lunged toward them, he wasn’t even after me at first. All I can remember is I grabbed his collar, and he hit me.”
“He started just throwing hands and punching her in the face violently, he ended up throwing her on the ground, hitting her again,” added Lindsey.
The Joplin Police Department says they responded to a disturbance call at Seventh and Rangeline, the location of the protest.
“Officers responded to that disturbance and found there was a large gathering. during their investigation on scene, they determined an assault had taken place, which resulted in one arrest,” said William Davis, Captain of the Joplin Police Department.
According to Joplin city arrest records, a Neosho man was arrested at Seventh and Rangeline for assault.
“So I know that an arrest was made for misdemeanor assault and that individual was transported to the Joplin city jail,” Davis said.
The police department is still investigating the incident, although Moore says she wasn’t too phased by it.
“I would go again, I would do the same day over because when it gets down to it I am fighting for something that affects not just me…yeah I got hurt…I wanna show that I was there to help change it.”
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