19-year-old Fall Out Boy fan explains why she stood to protect police during Ferguson protest

This past Monday, protestors, along with police forces, took to the streets of Ferguson, Missouri in light of the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death. 

[Photo via Twitter]

Later in the evening, Lynden Steel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shared a photo via Twitter of a young, white female standing firm in front of a group of police officers, as if to defend them. Sure enough, when asked what she was looking to accomplish with her stand, she replied, “I would rather get hit by something than let it hit them.”

The picture has since gone viral, generating buzz across the nation. Vice got in touch with 19-year-old Lexi Kozhevsky to talk about her stand, as well as her choice of apparel, which happened to be a Fall Out Boy T-shirt.

A lot of people are calling you racist. How does that feel?

I expected that. I’m not in the least bit racist. I totally agree that racial discrimination is a rampant thing going on in our country, racial profiling. I know if I was pulled over, compared to a black man, I know I’m going to get off free. I’m not saying it’s not a problem, and I think peaceful protesting is good. When it gets violent, the strategy needs to be changed.  

So one of the things people are really excited about for some reason is your Fall Out Boy T-shirt. Why did you decide to wear that to the protest? 

[Laughs.] I don’t really know. I mean that was my outfit for the day, I didn’t plan on going there in my Fall Out Boy T-shirt, it was just my outfit. 

You like new Fall Out Boy or old better? 

That’s hard, but probably old Fall Out Boy.

A video, which contains some dialogue from Kozhevsky, was taken while she was making her stand. You can watch it below.