Boy unapologetic on D.C. face-off

PARK HILLS, Ky. — A Catholic high school student whose close encounter with an American Indian activist and a black religious sect was captured on video in Washington, D.C., says he has nothing to apologize for.

Nick Sandmann told NBC’s Today show on Wednesday that he had every right to be there, as did the others who gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial. He said he wasn’t disrespectful and was trying to stay calm under the circumstances.

Videos posted of Sandmann and his classmates wearing “Make America Great Again” hats and facing off against Omaha Nation elder Nathan Phillips have sparked widespread criticism. But the various sides say they’ve been misunderstood and that snippets of video were taken out of context.

Many saw the white teenagers, who had traveled to Washington for an anti-abortion rally, appearing to mock the American Indians. Others interpreted Phillips’ drumming and singing as a hostile act. Phillips has since explained that he was trying to intervene between the boys and a group of black street preachers who were shouting racial insults at both the American Indians and the white youths.

“I was not disrespectful to Mr. Phillips. I respect him. I’d like to talk to him. In hindsight, I wish we could’ve walked away and avoided the whole thing, but I can’t say that I’m sorry for listening to him and standing there.”