An anti-fascist demonstrator jumps over a barricade during a free speech rally Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Berkeley, Calif. Several thousand people converged in Berkeley Sunday for a “Rally Against Hate” in response to a planned right-wing protest that raised concerns of violence and triggered a massive police presence. Several people were arrested for violating rules against covering their faces or carrying items banned by authorities. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)A small group of Trump supporters showed up in Berkeley, CA, to express their support for their guy. As was to be expected, a much larger group of ‘counter-protesters’ showed up. And with them came the ‘antifa.’
Police in riot gear fired a rubber bullet at one demonstrator who attempted to cross a barricade into the park, which was closed to the public. Some protesters set off purple smoke bombs.
Some anti-facists protesters, known as antifa, pounced when Joey Gibson, founder of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer, showed up with his crew. The protesters beat one man with a shield and another person wearing an American flag.
Some of the antifa protesters also threatened to break the cameras of anyone who filmed them, including journalists. One reporter tweeted that he had been pepper sprayed in one scuffle.
Moderate counter protesters were upset with the violence. “We need to get antifa out of here,” said Jack Harris, who helped break up a fight.
Andrew Noruk, who was wearing a T-shirt denouncing both the Republican and Democratic parties when two young women came up to him and started yelling at him.
“You’re a Nazi,” they shouted, leaving Noruk, who said he came out to protest Trump supporters, confused.
Noruk denounced the fights breaking out near the park, claiming antifa and black bloc anarchists have given Trump’s supporters exactly what they wanted: footage of violence perpetrated against the presidents supporters in a historically liberal city.
This is a timeline of the events.
"Take his camera, take his phone," they are shouting at a journalist. #berkeley pic.twitter.com/hvsQ5eXalE
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) August 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/LeighMartinezTV/status/901897070092574721
Clip is from live chopper feed by @kcranews in #Berkeley. No cops seen, this is #Antifa. https://t.co/vQHUculNTX pic.twitter.com/AJvowKzbev
— Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) August 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/huitz_warrior/status/901928497622409216
RT Cernovich "RT nickmon1112: #Berkeley ANTI-FA bash some guy with their LARP shields, throw piss on him https://t.co/h7XWQLbpEw"
— DANIEL GLENN (@REALDANIELGLENN) August 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/andrewstolidis/status/901956218633191426
Dear @realDonaldTrump,
Time to label Antifa a terrorist organization. #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/RIYDmbi6TI
— The Columbia Bugle πΊπΈ (@ColumbiaBugle) August 27, 2017
Just witnessed protesters attack a man and the mob surrounded him within seconds. pic.twitter.com/msqkNk8DaV
— Marcus Yam ζη« (@yamphoto) August 27, 2017
What you see in virtually all of the video coming out of Berkeley is not a clash between opposing groups of extremists. You are seeing a violent, Democrat sanctioned mob–the antifa–attacking unarmed people who happen to support the President of the United States.
I suppose if you are part of the “punch a Nazi” crowd, then this is all fun and games. If you want to draw a moral equivalence between organized mob violence and free speech you don’t like, there is nothing to see here. But as sure as day follows night, unless the feds decide to start treating this like the criminal conspiracy that it is, this is finally going to be settled with guns because those attacks you see here are all clear cases of self-defense in any concealed or Constitutional carry state.
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