As protests over the death of George Floyd rage across the United States, with violent clashes between protesters and the police, an Indian-American has emerged as a local hero after he gave shelter to close to 70 protesters who were about to get arrested in Washington DC.
According to the Associated Press, protesters out on the roads after Washington’s 7 pm curfew were about to be arrested when Dubey gave them shelter at his residence at Swann Street in northwest DC.
Dubey told AP that the police was about two houses away when he encouraged people to come inside.
“The last thing that they were chanting with their arms out peacefully was ’let us through, let us through,’” he said.
“They (the police) unleashed sheer hell on peaceful protesters right outside my stoop. I don't know, I just flung the door open. And I just kept yelling, 'Come in. Get in the house, get in the house.'” he told NPR.
‘It Was Pure Terror’
In a video being shared on social media, Dubey said that the police pinned him against the wall for at least 15 seconds and also fired tear gas shells in the house though the window.
Dubey said that what he saw the protesters going through at the hands of the police was “pure terror.”
“And now, the pepper spray is coming, and they’re coughing and they can’t see and they’re tripping up on the stairs and their friends or whoever’s around them is helping them, pulling them inside the house. And this went on for 10 minutes,” Dubey told AP, adding that, “it was pure terror. It was 10 minutes of terror.”
“Everyone was coughing – we were all coughing for 45 minutes to an hour,” Dubey told NPR, adding that police officers also came up to his door and sprayed pepper spray into the house.
Dubey, with the help of his neighbours, helped them get relief from the pepper-spray with milk and water.
Dubey told NPR that he was worried anyone who left the house might be accused of breaking in.
“They waited for us, man, like predators, so they could arrest us. We were doing no wrong in my house. I even said, ‘They’re my guests,’” he said.
'Hope My 13-Year-Old Son is Just as Amazing'
Several media houses asked Dubey what made him give shelter to the protesters.
“I hope that my 13-year-old son grows up to be just as amazing as they are,” Dubey told ABC news channel WJLA.
Dubey doesn’t think he did “anything special” despite many seeing his actions as brave.
“I know most people would’ve flung open that door,” he told WUSA9.
He told the news channel that he feels the nation is “lost” and “very fragile,” and he decided to help because no one is “doing anything about it, except for these people.”
‘He Didn’t Think of Himself’: Visitors, Activists Praise Dubey
Speaking to AP, Meka, as 22-year-old man from virginia who spent the night at Dubey’s residence said that he he was trying to keep everybody safe.
“The whole time he didn’t think of himself,” he said
“He was just trying to keep everybody safe, make sure we knew our rights and to make sure our spirits were lifted throughout the night,” Meka added.
In a video shared by multiple news organisations, Dubey can be seen standing at the podium of his house and being applauded by the ones he sheltered.
Several activists and others took to Twitter to praise Dubey.
(With inputs from AP, NPR, ABC News)
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