The core idea behind Shia LaBeouf’s “He Will Not Divide Us” protest is sweet if not idealist: bringing people together to stand against the divisive policies of President Donald Trump. A camera will stream from outside New York’s Museum of the Moving Image for the entirety of Trump’s first term, welcoming people to chant, “He will not divide us” across the Internet. Of course, this being the Internet, it was only a matter of time before trolls started coming out from under their bridges.
Reddit users and followers of the 4Chan /pol/ thread have rallied together to counter-protest LaBeouf’s message. Some are placing “Make America Great Again” signs in front of the camera or yelling their support of Trump. Others are chanting about Pepe the Frog, a meme that, in ways I still don’t quite understand, took on an association with white nationalists and the alt-right movement over the last year.
Most frustratingly to LaBeouf himself, some people have intentionally tried to light the actor’s notoriously short fuse, such as the man in the clip above. As the video shows, the man worked his way directly in front of the camera and began saying things that fell under the white nationalist banner, such as, “We must secure the existence of the white people…” LaBeouf confronted him, yelling the “he will not divide us” chant directly into his ears. Things got heated and intimidating, and — though no hands were raised — more than a little physical. Eventually, LaBeouf chased the agitator around the lot.
This wasn’t the only time LaBeouf clashed with a counter-protester. One pesky dude with a “Pepe 2020” sign kept bouncing in front of the camera, and the actor wasn’t having it. Watch that video, along with other clips of alt-right protesters, below.
