- People are giving money to a woman who was criticized over a viral Citi Bike dispute.
- A video of Sarah Comrie's dispute with a Black man over a bike went viral, and she got flak for it.
People are giving thousands of dollars to a woman who was involved in a viral Citi Bike dispute in New York City.
Sarah Comrie, a hospital worker, was filmed having a heated disagreement with a Black man over a Citi Bike in Manhattan on May 12. The video divided the internet but Comrie has her share of supporters, some of whom believe she was wrongly accused.
One of them is Comrie's uncle, Bob Roe, who started a GoFundMe for her on Friday titled: "Help Sarah Comrie fight being branded a 'Karen.'"
Roe wrote on the GoFundMe page: "Sarah is a dedicated healthcare worker who is six months pregnant. She holds racial justice and equity dear, and has dedicated her life to serving NYC's most challenged individuals."
The GoFundMe, which aims to raise $120,000, has amassed $111,624 at press time through more than 3,100 donations.
Roe wrote that the GoFundMe would go to offsetting Comrie's legal bills and help her "save her livelihood and her reputation."
Comrie came under fire on social media after the video of her dispute with the unnamed Black man went viral. The clip showed her repeatedly screaming "help" and appearing to cry when confronted by the man.
In the clip, she also accused the man of endangering her unborn child.
—Imposter (@Imposter_Edits) May 18, 2023
Comrie was placed on leave from her job following the incident, and a spokesperson of the NYC public hospital system called the video "disturbing" in a statement to Insider's Natalie Musumeci.
However, Comrie's lawyer Justin Marino later said his client had paid for the bicycle and that she was being unfairly targeted.
"She had reserved it, and then they pushed the bike back into the docking station, preventing her from taking it out again," Marino told Insider.
Roe did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours. Comrie's lawyer declined to comment.