The Black Lives Matter official Instagram account has shared a reel asserting that “oppressed people have a right to violence,” as public fury boils over the recent stabbing murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina.
While the post does not directly mention Zarutska, the timing has fueled accusations of racism and deliberate incitement.
Zarutska, 23, fled Ukraine in 2022 due to the war with Russia. She was fatally stabbed from behind multiple times on August 22 while riding Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line light rail train at the East/West Boulevard station.
Surveillance footage captured the unprovoked attack by suspect Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, who has been arrested 14 times in the past, including prior assault and weapons charges, but remained free.
On Wednesday, just one day after the full video of the murder was made public, Black Lives Matter posted a clip from the 1983 film “Born in Flames,” in which a black woman declares, “Right to violence. All oppressed people have a right to violence… It’s like your right to pee. You gotta have the right place, Gotta have the right time.”
BREAKING – The official black lives matter account has posted a video stating that black people “have a right to violence” amid mass outrage over the slaying of Iryna Zarutska at the hands of a black male in Charlotte, North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/jhnuArvrXd
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) September 10, 2025
Brown can be heard in the surveillance footage declaring, “I got that white girl,” after the stabbing.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced federal charges against Brown.
“Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream — her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder. We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man.”
Brown was charged with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.
“The brutal attack on Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte Light Rail was a disgraceful act that should never happen in America,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI jumped to assist in this investigation immediately to ensure justice is served and the perpetrator is never released from jail to kill again. I want to thank Attorney General Bondi for her pursuit of today’s federal charges, which are the first step toward delivering justice for Iryna and her family – as well as the millions of Americans who deserve to live in our great American cities free from being targeted by violent criminals.”
If convicted, Brown will be eligible for the death penalty.
