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A clip of a protester accusing the National Guard of being ‘on the wrong side of history’ over the ongoing LA protests went viral – it turns out for the wrong reason.
Social media users on left and right were convinced the footage of a man railing against authority in a baseball cap was Hollywood actor Wyatt Russell. Russell, the son of Hollywood legends Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, most recently starred in the new Marvel movie Thunderbolts*.
But despite the passing resemblance with the protester, a spokesperson for the actor has confirmed it was definitely not him.
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The video, first shared by The Tennessee Holler account on X, shows a bearded man in a baseball cap and hoodie berating the officers.
“Your assault rifles and your sticks? You should be standing here with us,” he says, in front of grafitti saying ICE = KKK. “We know you got a job to do, but you took an oath to the Constitution, not to the fascists in the White House. Think about what you’re doing now. Think about what this means.
“Coming into our community, peaceful f***ing community – people working their jobs. They’re sending men in military fatigues, weapons of war. And you stand here and you allow it.
“Do you think any of these people in the White House sending you these commands give a f*** about you?”
The video was subsequently picked up by a number of accounts erroneously identifying the speaker as Russell.
A spokesperson for the actor has since told The Independent: “This is indeed NOT Wyatt Russell, and we have been working to try and correct the mis-identification.”
The video has since been amended on X to include a note that states: “Though he has a passing resemblance, this is not Wyatt Russell.”
Warning: strong language
The protester is in fact Aaron Fisher, a former Ohio House Democratic Caucus staffer and now partner at Statecraft Media, a company that produces digital media campaigns for progressive political candidates.
Bizarrely, the Marvel universe does include a character named Aaron Fischer (albeit spelled slightly differently), who, like Russell’s John Walker, aspires to succeed Captain America.
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Asked about the case of mistaken identity by Entertainment Weekly, Fisher – the protester – said: “I found the mixup to be pretty humorous, and glad it helped to amplify the message. The proliferation of the words themselves, and the movement behind it, is what matters most.
“The deployment of the National Guard against the wishes of our governor is dangerously un-American, and I will continue to peacefully protest in my community.”
Fisher has since posted screenshots of some of the personal abuse he has received from MAGA-leaning X users since being identified, one of whom baselessly alleged the video in which he starred was “pre-planned and set-up” while another called him an “embarrassment” and a “skinny f****.”
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“I’ll continue to work for a Democracy that serves everyone so that you can continue to use your free speech against guys like,” Fisher told the first person. “Thank you for sharing your thoughtful insights.”
He politely corrected the spelling of the second.
The unrest in the California, sparked by the ICE raids on undocumented migrants that began on Friday, is now entering its fifth day, with President Donald Trump ordering a further 2,000 members of the National Guard to support the LAPD in maintaining order and the Pentagon readying 700 active-duty Marines to enter the fray if needed.
So far there have been angry clashes, vandalism, multiple arrests and several vehicles set on fire but no fatalities.
