Question

Why did some whites believe that the African American protesters in Montgomery were behaving arrogantly

Answer 1

1) The whites didn't seem to like the blacks anyway 2) I guess they saw them as "WAH!!! What about OUR independence? What about OUR freedom? What about OUR equality? WAH!!!" P.S. I TOTALLY don't think this!

Answer 2

At that point in history, protests and activism were a lot less common than they are nowadays. Moreover, Black people had never organized themselves and protested in such an open and clear way. The fact that they were demanding change from the government made them seem arrogant to some people. This was particularly true for people who believed that change should only come from slow reflection and through democratic and pacific means.