Political leader and civil rights advocate Maxine Waters has long been a powerful force in the fight for equality in the United States. Since 1991 she has served as the U.S. Representative for California’s 43rd congressional district and led various civil rights efforts. In 1992, soon after south-central Los Angeles broke out into riots over the Rodney King verdict, she led a rally with the “No justice, no peace” chant.

Lately, as Americans demand justice for the Black community in light of recent protests for police reform, Waters has not shied away from taking a stand. Over the weekend she proved her fight will only continue after she intervened on behalf of a black man who had been pulled over by police in Los Angeles.

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Over the weekend, the California congresswoman assisted a Black man stopped by police in Los Angeles.

In a video shared online, Waters was captured by bystanders as she pulled her SUV over to intervene when police officers pulled a black man over.

“They stopped a brother, so I stopped to see what they were doing,” the Congresswoman explained in the video captured by a bystander. “They said I’m in the wrong place and that they’re going to give me a ticket.”

Waters added that she wasn’t bothered by the threat of a citation. “They’re going to give me a ticket, but that’s okay, as long as I watch them,” she explained before heading back towards the officers. In response the person filming called back “you gotta do what you gotta do, make sure”.

“I will!” Waters replied over her shoulder.

The 15-second clip has been viewed over eighty-thousand times.

Maxine’s intervention comes just two months after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Both were unarmed Black people killed by police whose deaths sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism and has prompted similar interventions by important figures.

In May, actor Denzel Washington intervened in a police arrest to make sure that no foul play occurred when an out of sorts Black man was stopped by police for walking in the middle of the road. The actor stuck around as police detained the man after he attempted to give the man food.