The mother of a woman berated by a screaming mob for not raising her fist in support of the Black Lives Matter movement says her daughter refused to be 'intimidated' by the incident.

Shocking footage of Lauren Victor surrounded by yelling protesters as she sat outside a cafe near her home in Washington DC went around the world last week, with many hailing her as a hero for not bowing to the baying crowd.

Her mother Merna Victor, 77, told The Mail on Sunday that her daughter would never cave into pressure from a mob – even though she supports Black Lives Matter.

'She is a supporter and has marched in support of Black Lives Matter on several occasions but she wasn't going to be intimidated by them,' she said.

'She was sitting with a friend outside a cafe just around the corner from her home, drinking her tea, when this large crowd appeared with their fists in the air.

'They had been going from cafe to cafe trying to get people to join them and calling for everyone to raise a clenched fist.'

Urban planner Lauren, 49, refused to raise her fist despite her dining companion and those sat nearby doing so. 'At first it wasn't clear what they were protesting and they weren't chanting any Black Lives Matter slogans, so she didn't know what the protest was about,' her mother explained.