Montana man berates peaceful protesters in meltdown caught on video

A white Montana man angrily confronted police-brutality protesters at a rally and repeatedly yelled obscenities at several demonstrators, disturbing video shows.

Jay Snowden, 51, of Whitefish, was charged Thursday with disorderly conduct, one day after he was caught on cellphone video having an apparent meltdown during a protest near Whitefish’s City Hall in the wake of George Floyd’s police-involved death, NBC Montana reports.

“Black Lives Matter?” Snowden asked when initially confronting two protesters, video obtained by KRTV shows. “F–k you! F–k you!”

Snowden continued his tirade as someone in the crowd started to chant “Peaceful,” but the man was undeterred and proceeded to get in the faces of several other protesters, video shows.

He also swatted away several signs held by the protesters, video shows.

“F–k all of you guys,” Snowden told the crowd, including one woman nearby who had a Black Lives Matter sign.

At one point, a crowd encircles Snowden as he holds up his middle finger. An officer then tries to quell the confrontation by walking him away from the protesters, one of whom grabs Snowden’s hat after he takes away a protester’s sign, video shows.

Police said in a statement that the crowd of up to 70 people had been “peacefully protesting” until Snowden showed up and got belligerent. Prosecutors charged him after they met with police, NBC Montana reports.

The man who shot the footage, meanwhile, accused Snowden of driving by a protest held at the same spot the night before and giving the crowd the finger, the station reports.

Snowden is due to appear in court on June 17, KRTV reports.

“The City of Whitefish is dedicated to protecting the First Amendment rights of individuals to peacefully protest and ask all who are involved to respect each other’s rights and protest peacefully,” Whitefish police said in a statement to the Whitefish Pilot.