I spent the last three weeks trying to figure out what happened - and why - when hundreds of bikers showed up to a Black Lived Matter rally of a few dozen in Bethel, Ohio: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/bethel-ohio-black-lives-matter-protest

This is a story of a pretty typical white small town that believes itself to be kind and welcoming - but I also think it’s the story of what happens when the newspaper’s gone and everyone relies on Facebook for info on what’s happening in your tiny village

But that also meant that instead of edited TV footage of the event, there were hours and hours of livestream - which included all of the slurs and insults hurled at the people demonstrating, all the ripped signs, the guy sucker punching a protester in the back of the head

And I’m grateful to the pastors, hairdressers, teachers, window washers, servers, retirees who spoke to me and tried to give me an larger picture of Bethel. What happened somehow feels totally unique but also like it could’ve happened in any small town with a protest