“Get out of my way, cripple!” a tall bully yelled and kicked a disabled girl, causing her to fall onto the sidewalk near a bus stop. At that moment, 99 cyclists were passing by and witnessed the whole thing…
On a cold Saturday morning in downtown Portland, 19-year-old Emily, who has cerebral palsy, waited for the bus on crutches.
A young man named Brandon approached the bus stop, insulted her, and kicked her, causing Emily to fall to the ground.
People around were shocked, but no one intervened.
Moments later, nearly a hundred cyclists from the Portland Freedom Ride group entered the street.
Jake, one of the participants, stopped abruptly when he realized what had happened and walked over to Brandon.
The cyclists formed a protective semicircle around Emily and began recording the events on video.
Jake demanded that Brandon apologize, threatening to turn the recording over to the police if necessary.
Under pressure, Brandon reluctantly apologized. Emily accepted the apology, adding that he shouldn’t treat people like that again.
When police arrived, officers reviewed the video and took Brandon in for questioning.
When the bus pulled up, Jake asked if Emily needed help getting home.
She thanked him, noting that the cyclists had already done enough for her.
The next day, a video of the incident went viral, garnering more than 12 million views and thousands of supportive comments.
Emily and Jake were interviewed by local news outlets, and the city’s mayor thanked the bike ride participants for their show of solidarity.
Brandon was charged with assault and harassment; he later issued a public apology and completed probation while participating in a disability awareness program.
Emily soon joined a rehabilitation and community group.
