Violence has erupted once again in Berkeley, California, as leftist “anti-fascists” violently attacked a rally to support President Donald Trump — assaulting the elderly, burning signs promoting free speech, and threatening reporters.
"Get out of here, you little POS," someone yelled at a ~ 12-year-old Trump supporter who is here with her dad. She flipped them the finger.
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) March 5, 2017
The “March 4 Trump” movement staged peaceful rallies across the nation on Saturday, most of which ran smoothly. Unfortunately, protesters descended upon the rally in Berkeley, bringing chaos and taking a stand against the freedom of speech.
Elderly Trump supporter rallies for Free Speech & Unity.
Gets pepper sprayed by violent leftists.
This is California.#Berkeley #March4Trump pic.twitter.com/PsBvqDK3eG— Alex ?? (@SoCal4Trump) March 4, 2017
The protest was reportedly organized by militant leftist group By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), who also claimed involvement in the riot in the city last month, boasting that they were one of the “organizers of Berkeley’s shutdown of white neo-fascist Milo Yiannopoulos.” In 2005, the group was identified by the FBI as “thought to be involved in terrorist activities.”
Before violence erupted, the two groups stood facing each other, shouting dueling chants of “No fascist USA” and “Build the wall.”
https://twitter.com/XoduzMidnight/status/838189432918331392
https://twitter.com/sterlingcooley/status/838196772551872512
Shortly after the event began at 2 p.m. local time, skirmishes broke out between those marching for Trump and the radical aggressors. An elderly man was also pepper sprayed, presumably for daring to wear a “Make America Great Again” cap.
#March4Trump #berkeley elderly man pepper sprayed by #antifa pic.twitter.com/5z3O6UZuhL
— Jason Belich ?? (@JasonBelich) March 4, 2017
Here we go again. Not the first fight that's broken out at the #trump rally in #Berkeley. pic.twitter.com/ZPW6QbI5S1
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) March 4, 2017
Within an hour of the event beginning, the situation had escalated dramatically, with reports that black bloc had taken over. The Associated Press reports that people in the crowd were also throwing smoke bombs.
Smoke released #March4Trump #berkeley pic.twitter.com/qbnOBwlLw7
— Audrey Garces (@AudreyGarces) March 4, 2017
Fighting is spreading to the streets in Berkeley. This isn't a Trump rally anymore. It's the anarchists. pic.twitter.com/cFIu7akCSX
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) March 4, 2017
Normal Americans HATE the violent left as they burn another flag at #Berkeley…
pic.twitter.com/YIlbF6qszP— Journalism Is Dead (@TheDailyBail) March 5, 2017
Police did not immediately intervene, and as protesters burned an American flag they informed a woman that they were not allowed to put out the fire, San Francisco Chronicle reporter Lizzie Johnson posted on Twitter.
"Can you put the fire out?" a woman asked. "Sorry we cannot," an officer responded. #Berkeley
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) March 5, 2017
Absolute chaos out here. Absolute chaos. Fighting. Pepper spray. Police aren't interfering yet.
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) March 4, 2017
These protestors clearly aren't athletes. Eggs are hitting everyone but their target, this random guy advocating for the homeless. pic.twitter.com/vUGonug6bk
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) March 5, 2017
Around 3:15 p.m., police began moving in and making arrests.
Two still in handcuffs explain what happened. Berkeley police say they can not comment. #March4Trump #berkeley @XpressNews pic.twitter.com/oNnwXFSLfM
— Audrey Garces (@AudreyGarces) March 5, 2017
BPD spokesperson Office Byron White confirmed that the department is filming the protest and will be seeking to identify anarchists who were not immediately arrested at the scene.
Melee in #Berkeley: #Trump supporters and #protestors fighting in the streets of #Berkeley today. pic.twitter.com/J2dUWHTFLq
— Oakland Photo Vault (@BlackKangoPhoto) March 5, 2017
One woman reportedly went to the rally prepared — allegedly pepper spraying protesters, and pulling out a Tazer.
"This lady pepper-sprayed anti-#Trump protesters and pulled out a taser" – @iambeale #somuchforthetolerantright #March4Trump #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/hBBim820S3
— ImportantCool (@ImportantCool) March 5, 2017
Woman that maced us #berkeley #march4trump #resist #notmypresident #antifa #impeachtrump #killnazis #MAGA #dumptrump #trump #ucberkeley pic.twitter.com/S3ogXyJ33h
— Chris Edwards (@ChrisGEdwards) March 5, 2017
At least one person was taken to the hospital with a head wound and another had several teeth knocked out, it remains unclear which side the injured were on.
Fights escalate #berkeley protest. Another man injured cops pushing people back. pic.twitter.com/ZHRcb3LGJC
— tammerlin (@tammerlin) March 4, 2017
Johnson was reportedly warned that she would be killed if she stayed at the scene, doing her job. She also reported that the leftists were throwing eggs at police and the press.
A woman is cooking eggs on a burning #Trump baseball cap. I really, really would not encourage eating those. #Berkeley
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) March 5, 2017
OK, now they're throwing the eggs at police and reporters. Police still not reacting. #Berkeley
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) March 5, 2017
By 6 p.m., there were at least 10 arrests — including five for battery, four for assault, and one for resisting arrest. Police also confiscated bats, metal pipes, bricks, and an illegal dagger, Johnson reported.
#VIDEO: #Berkeley #police chase after #protester during violent demonstration over support for #PresidentTrump. https://t.co/nFrwUROqtI pic.twitter.com/dJRH0H9F6s
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) March 5, 2017
Two more arrests in Berkeley — around 8 have now been made. "Please read me my rights," girl says. #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/S58asG4JPJ
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) March 5, 2017
Liberal political commentators did not only refuse to denounce the violence, they cheered it on.
Apparently there was some type of Alt-Right #March4Trump in #Berkeley and a few white supremacists got that work #HeNeedSomeMilk pic.twitter.com/Ek1cyGgpQt
— Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) March 5, 2017
Last month, black-clad rioters violently shut down a Milo Yiannopolous speaking event at the University of California at Berkeley by throwing a firebomb, violently attacking event attendees, looting a Starbucks, and vandalizing the area.
The group, wearing ski masks and all-black attire from head to toe, launched fireworks and molotov cocktails at police, caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to the MLK Student Union, and toppled a mobile light structure, setting its generator on fire. The city estimates that the rioters caused between $400,000 and $500,000 in damage to the area outside the university.
Black bloc is a common tactic used by far-left anarchists to make it difficult to identify violent protesters for prosecution, by making themselves indistinguishable from one another. While the tactic has been used in various parts of the world for decades, the first recorded use of black bloc tactics in the United States was at the Pentagon in 1988, during a protest calling for the US to stop supporting right-wing death squads in El Salvador. Since then, it has been a common movement at protests across the nation, picking up steam after the Occupy Wall Street protests swept across the country.
This situation is ongoing and we will continue to provide updates as the evening progresses.
Sign up on lukeunfiltered.com or to check out our store on thebestpoliticalshirts.com.