Neo-Nazis didn't start the violence at state Capitol, police say

[Theinquisition]

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...nap-story.html

what a bunch of cowards. I don't like racists either, but you don't go to a protest declaring that your against fascism.....and act like fascists. Why were they wearing masks anyway? cowards.

series of violent clashes this weekend involving neo-Nazis permitted to rally at the state Capitol was initiated not by the white nationalist group but by counter-protesters, a law enforcement official said Monday.

“If I had to say who started it and who didn’t, I’d say the permitted group didn’t start it,” said California Highway Patrol officer George Granada, a spokesman for its Protective Services division. “They came onto the grounds and were met almost instantly with a group of protesters there not to talk.”

The Traditionalist Worker Party had a permit to hold a rally on the Capitol grounds at noon, Granada said.​​​​​​​

Waiting for them were counter-protesters, including members of the anti-fascist organization Antifa Sacramento, which had promoted a “Shut Down Nazi Rally” event on its website leading up to Sunday.

A similar melee broke out in Anaheim earlier this year when members of the Ku Klux Klan announced they were holding a rally at a park. Counter-protesters showed up early and waited. When the first Klansmen arrived, they were set upon by the group.

Three people were stabbed at the Anaheim rally. At the Sacramento rally Sunday, seven people were stabbed and nine were hospitalized.

Granada said more than 100 CHP and Sacramento police officers were at the park to keep the peace, but the ground spans five city blocks and violence broke out intermittently. Sacramento police found a loaded gun but the CHP didn’t recover any knives or other weapons, Granada said.

“It’s not like all that stuff is visible up until it’s about to be used… a lot of that stuff comes out of wherever,” he said. “We were prepared… it could’ve been much worse. Luckily there were no injuries to officers, tourists or people of the general public.”


All the injuries were sustained by white nationalists or counter-protesters though specific totals weren’t available, Granada said.
The Traditionalist Worker Party said on its website that it had planned a Sunday rally in conjunction with the Golden State Skinheads “to make a statement about the precarious situation our race is in” after “brutal assaults” at Donald Trump events in California.

When the groups met Sunday on the Capitol grounds, news media were on hand to bear witness and law enforcement was out to maintain control.

The violence erupted around 11:45 a.m., when word spread that roughly 30 people had shown up. Counter-protesters swarmed them and a fight immediately broke out, Granada said.

Robert Bautista, 65, said he saw a handful of white supremacists and skinheads arrive two or three at a time only to be immediately mobbed and chased away by the counter-protesters, who hurled water bottles and the wooden stakes that bore their signs.

“They beat the heck out of a couple guys,” said Bautista, a retired construction worker who was among the counter-protesters. “You could see their adrenaline was running high.”

Bautista also said he saw one counter-protester, a black man who appeared to be in his late 20s, convulsing on the ground with stab wounds to his chest and abdomen.

“He was a bloody mess,” he said.

Dozens of counter-protesters remained after the injured had been taken away, watching over the Capitol steps in sweltering heat. On the grounds, a lone white nationalist supporter approached with a cellphone and shouted about his constitutional right to be on site and shoot video. After exchanging heated words with the protesters, people erupted into a chorus of "Nazi, go home.”

For much of the afternoon, the historic domed Capitol was locked down, with staffers and tourists inside. Police swarmed the park-like grounds, but by Monday there had still been no arrests.

Police are scanning websites, social media accounts and videos online to find people involved in the violence, Granada said. Many of the counter-protesters wore masks, making them difficult to identify on video by law enforcement.

Counter-protester Yvette Felarca, 46, said the marchers had been driven away and had not been able to recruit members.

"The Nazis are the violent ones — we are acting in self-defense," said Felarca, who sustained a bloody blow to the head. "We need to take them head on, confront them, but with as many people as possible."
The Traditionalist Worker Party vice chairman, Matt Parrott, blamed “leftist radicals” for instigating the violence. Videos and photos of the rally posted on social media showed the white nationalists vastly outnumbered by protesters from anti-fascist groups.

“We stood our ground. We will be back,” Traditionalist Worker Party Chairman Matthew Heimbach, who was not at the rally, said in a phone interview.

Both sides declared victory on their respective websites Monday morning.

[Kraenen]

"we are acting in self-defense"

So this is what happens when you teach people that words are equivalent to violence and personal damage?

[Deleted]

"If you cannot persuade a fascist, equate his head with the pavement."

[Theinquisition]

"If you cannot persuade a fascist, equate his head with the pavement."

I'm sure your not touching anyone.

[Deleted]

"we are acting in self-defense"

So this is what happens when you teach people that words are equivalent to violence and personal damage?

Seems to be, yeah.

Both sides declared victory on their respective websites Monday morning.

This part in the article made me laugh.

[Sky High]

meh, hard for me to care about either side in this.

[Theinquisition]

"we are acting in self-defense"

So this is what happens when you teach people that words are equivalent to violence and personal damage?

As sad as it is to say, I almost wish some of those "counter protestors" would have gotten shot. I don't much like the neo-nazi's, but they were using their freedom of speech to express themselves in a peaceful manner. The correct response would have been to just ignore them and not give them the attention they want. Using violence to curb someone's constitutional freedoms is about as fascistic as it gets.

[Gib Lover]

The same police that are on tape not stepping in to stop the assault of the people that they are claiming here didn't start the fight in the first place?
What a joke, my faith in the police has been shaken and I am a quintessential bootlicker.

[Theinquisition]

meh, hard for me to care about either side in this.

I get it president Sky high, I mean the Neo-Nazis are dirt bags, but I'm whole heartily against the premise that violence should be used to silence a group that is unpopular.

- - - Updated - - -

The same police that are on tape not stepping in to stop the assault of the people that they are claiming here didn't start the fight in the first place?
What a joke, my faith in the police has been shaken and I am a quintessential bootlicker.

Yeah, the fact that they stand aside and let it happen is only going to lead to worse things happening in the future. the next time they have a rally like this, some of them might start bringing firearms..and using them.

Maybe then the cop will start doing their jobs...who knows.

[Sky High]

I get it president Sky high, I mean the Neo-Nazis are dirt bags, but I'm whole heartily against the premise that violence should be used to silence a group that is unpopular.

so am I, but I'm not going to shed any tears over their mistreatment either. the counter protesters seem to be the same shit head anarchists that made occupy Oakland a fucking disaster so a double fuck you to them as well.

[Rorke]

IDK whey they even bother trying to save states overrun with 3rd worlders anymore. It's over, its done, let those states drown when all the white people leave.

They should've done something back in the 1980's about this but its far too late now.

[Tempguy]

"we are acting in self-defense"

So this is what happens when you teach people that words are equivalent to violence and personal damage?

Saw this coming. Just look around at all the people who view words the same as they view going out and physically assaulting someone.

- Say what I want, stay silent, or get beaten to submission. So progressive

[nonameelf]

IDK whey they even bother trying to save states overrun with 3rd worlders anymore. It's over, its done, let those states drown when all the white people leave.

They should've done something back in the 1980's about this but its far too late now.

You realize California has an economy bigger than France and that losing it would cause the US economy to crash resulting in another world wide economic downturn right?

[Tempguy]

What a sad state of affairs when neo nazis are the good guys...

[Kalis]

The far left and the far right, identical twins arguing over who is uglier.

[Deleted]

It's the same with those Trump rallies where people got attacked for supporting Trump. This new regressive liberalism is literally fascism except that they think they are the good guys.

[Gib Lover]

The far left and the far right, identical twins arguing over who is uglier.

Only this time the group you would normally associate with violence were the victims. And the people that are supposed to protect and serve stood by and watched it happen.
I expect major backlash towards the Sac police department.

[Tempguy]

It's the same with those Trump rallies where people got attacked for supporting Trump. This new regressive liberalism is literally fascism except that they think they are the good guys.

So fascists didn't think they were the good guys?

The issue here is that people have this idea that "bad" guys kno and embrace being bad. The idea that a good intention can be acted on poorly is alien

[Theinquisition]

You realize California has an economy bigger than France and that losing it would cause the US economy to crash resulting in another world wide economic downturn right?

It also has cities filing for bankruptcy. It may have the largest economy, but it also has some pretty staggering debt.

[Deleted]

So fascists didn't think they were the good guys?

The issue here is that people have this idea that "bad" guys kno and embrace being bad. The idea that a good intention can be acted on poorly is alien

Maybe Musollini thought he was doing what needed to be done. But the majority were brainless thugs. Breaking stuff up, burning books, beating people. I doubt they had delusions of grandeour. Here people think they are doing the right thing just because they are doing it to ''bad'' people. These bad people not doing anything yet. I might be wrong about this though. Just my impression.