White College student arrested after wearing gorilla mask, carrying rope and trying to give out bananas to Black Lives Matter protesters

A White Tennessee college Year one student known as Tristan Rettke has been arrested by police after he wore a gorilla mask, carried rope and tried to give out bananas during a Black Lives Matter protest on Wednesday. 

A video published by The Johnson City Press show Tristan wearing overalls, holding a burlap sack with a marijuana leaf and Confederate flag on it while also dangling a banana with a rope towards the Black Lives Matter protesters.

Police have arrested him and charged him with 'civil rights intimidation'.

“I think he thinks it’s OK because he got a mask on his face,” one of the protesters said.

 “I’m just the gorilla,” Rettke said. “I identify as the gorilla. I’m just supporting my people.” Rettke found out about the event on the social media app Yik Yak and came out on Wednesday to try “to provoke the protesters,” according to police.