Another protest produced chaos thanks to Antifa. The repeat offenders protested against a "March Against Marxism" that never happened. Camera caught everything. A group of peaceful protesters were overran by Antifa. They also stormed the school as well as surrounding areas. According to reports, police were told to stand down. Officers retreated to the edge of the park where Antifa was gathering.
The order to stand down did not create the results they were hoping for. The black-clad anti-fascists gathered around a group of what they claimed were white supremacists. They charged up the street behind an "Avenge Charlottesville" banner.
A sea of masked protesters dressed in black are holding a banner reading "Avenge Charlottesville, protect your community." #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/M5TgKzKNyq
— Kris Sanchez (@KrisNBC) August 27, 2017
March Against Marxism organizers made it clear they had nothing to do with racism or the alt-right, but they were still forced to cancel the rally due to violent threats from Antifa.
People did show up with the intention of participating in the March Against Marxism demonstration, but police led them away after they were harassed. Per KCRA, "the left-wing protesters surrounded the small number of right-wing supporters, then shouted at them and pushed them. The right-wing protesters sought protection from police and were escorted away."
Police stoping skirmishes as they happen in #Berkeley today between right-wing nationalists and #Counterprotestors @KPFANews pic.twitter.com/IEp6wIPQ8m
— Mike Kohn (@MikeCKohn) August 27, 2017
From this point things only got worse.
Camera caught Antifa thugs taking a man to the ground and then punching and kicking him. There is no way to tell the man's identity. Who knows if he was even part of the March Against Marxism. Antifa simply claimed he was with the "alt-right."
https://twitter.com/_/status/901910682030882816
Antifa even went after journalists. They chased after a journalism while people in the crowd chanted, "Take his camera! Take his phone!"
"Take his camera, take his phone," they are shouting at a journalist. #berkeley pic.twitter.com/hvsQ5eXalE
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) August 27, 2017
A local Fox reporter was attacked and it was caught on camera.
https://twitter.com/_/status/901897070092574721
These thugs were definitely concerned about the result of a reporter getting into the middle of this riot. They did not want the reporters to do any reporting when it came to what they were doing.
Lizzie Johnson of the San Francisco Chronicle, which is a publication which has not strongly opposed Antifa at this point, called out the group, calling them "dangerous and destructive."
Massive militant anarchist showing in Berkeley today. The group is dangerous and destructive. #Berkeley
— Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) August 27, 2017
A reporter from Mother Jones did catch Antifa pursuing a cop car who was pulling away. The police fired tear gas into the crowd as a response.
https://twitter.com/shane_bauer/status/901909971637379072
Per the Berkeley police, there were 14 arrests made during the melee.
Saturday's rallies were mostly peaceful. Due to the violence that happened it will be very difficult for Antifa organizers to make a case they were only there to fend off white supremacists.
Leave a Reply