North Carolina police left protestors stunned during a standoff when they knelt in solidarity.
The incident took place on Murchison Road on Monday, June 1, for around 30 seconds during a Black Lives Matter protest, and it involved around 60 officers from the Fayetteville Police Department.
The touching act of solidarity moved some of the protestors and officers to tears, with officers saying they did it "as a show of understanding the pain that is in our community and our nation regarding equality".
Watch the touching moment below:The video above was posted to Fayetteville Police's Twitter page, and the department said it "took a knee to show that we also stand for justice for everyone", adding: "We are committed to listening and treating everyone with dignity and respect."
According to witnesses, the incident took place at around 8:00PM when the curfew started, and the protestors feared that they were about to be arrested.
Monika Mimamo wrote under the video, also shared on Facebook, that she believes moments like this will "go down into history":
"If you see the real clip it is much more touching ..the protesters first got mad when asked to step back. but once the officers knelt down it was on..men and women alike started crying and then cautiously came toward the police officers to shake their hands ..the crowd disbursed.
"This all happened right around 8:00 PM when the curfew started and I take it the protesters thought they were going to be arrested.. but our Fayetteville PD humbly knelt before them instead ..these are moments that will go down into history and will be taught to future generations ..."
However, while the police department might have knelt in solidarity with the best of intentions, some on social media did criticize them, claiming that it was nothing more than a PR stunt.
One Twitter user wrote: "So, did it take you guys 3 hours to kneel because you were waiting to pick out the right background music and get the drones in position?"
A second remarked: "Fayetteville Police Department made sure they posted videos of them kneeling on all of their social media. I have to laugh at them using this as their propaganda. However, i'm not suprised [sic], the department is a whole joke."
Despite the criticism, it certainly is refreshing to see a moment of peace and community right now.
Over the past nine days, protests - some peaceful, some violent - have erupted across the US, calling out the systemic injustices carried out against black people, not least seen by the recent deaths of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.
They are also demanding an end to police brutality and the racism that is so deeply entrenched in America and the western world.
The message is simple: Black lives matter.
VT proudly supports Black Lives Matter. For ways to contribute to the cause, please click HERE.