Bikers rally for cops who violently arrested black woman at Waffle House: ‘Obey the law or things happen’

More than 150 bikers rallied over the weekend to support police officers who violently arrested a black woman earlier this year at a Waffle House restaurant in Alabama.

Sunday's demonstration was organized in response to protests against police brutality prompted by the April 19 arrest, which police defended as justified, reported WALA-TV.

Police arrested Chikesia Clemons in April at the Saraland eatery after she argued with employees over a 50-cent fee for plastic utensils with her order, and video shows the woman's breast was exposed and an officer threatened to break her arm during a struggle.

Officers say Clemons and her friend threatened Waffle House employees and refused to leave, but attorneys for the woman have disputed that claim.

Event organizer Kenda Fenton-Todd sided with police and invited motorcycle enthusiasts to show their support for police in the racially charged incident.

"With all the controversy a due to the recent arrest of by the young lady, it was just necessary to show these people that we support them," Todd said. "You can't just walk into an establishment and be belligerent and threatening and hostile and not suffer the outcome of getting arrested. We just felt that it was necessary to show these guys that we back them."

Todd said Clemons, who was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, should have expected to be violently taken to the floor and stripped partially nude in front of other customers.

"You either obey the law and you comply or things happen," Todd said. "They did their job. They had to do their job that's what they're trained to do."

"It was unfortunate that the young lady's wardrobe had exposed herself," she added. "But under the circumstances, like I said, if you don't comply with the law then you're going to get manhandled whether you're a woman or a man."

The bikers gathered for breakfast at the restaurant and then rode to the Saraland Police Department headquarters, where they waved flags and signs showing support for police officers.

"We bring peace," Todd said. "We're all about peace so we're not here to raise a ruckus or anything. We're just here to fellowship orderly and have breakfast and show these guys that we love them."

Beatrice King, the youngest daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and CEO of the King Center, has called for a boycott of Waffle House over Clemons' arrest and three other race-related incidents in recent months at the chain's restaurants.

A white gunman killed four black customers April 23 at a Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee, and a black customer was locked outside of a Pinson, Alabama, restaurant while white customers were served inside.

A police officer choked a black customer last month in Warsaw, North Carolina, after he said employees called him racist and homophobic slurs during an argument over an unwashed table.