Berkeley police have arrested several people as scuffles broke during two opposing rallies in downtown Berkeley, California. One demo is against Marxism in America, the other group is counter protesters.
A dozen people were arrested in connection with Sunday protests, Berkeley police said, posting the offenders’ mugshots on its Twitter page. Most were detained for possessing banned weapons, battery, vandalism and working with others to commit a crime.
The epicenter of the protest was Civic Center Park where several scuffles broke out.
Live video from the scene showed protesters beating drums and chanting slogans as police officers tried to separate rival crowds. The right-wing rally participants were seen carrying US flags and banners supporting the US President Donald Trump and shouting slogans against “communism,” while the left-wing counter-protesters could be heard chanting “No Trump, no KKK [Ku Klux Klan], no fascist USA” and “Fascists out of Berkeley!”
Heavy police presence in full riot gear was aimed at preventing the opposing rallies from clashing, according to authorities.
“We’re not going to allow anyone who has banned items into that park. We’re also making an effort to keep opposing groups separated,” Berkeley Police spokesman Officer Byron White told Berkleyside.
Earlier, the city of Berkeley issued a list of banned weapons and items, which included “sticks, pipes, poles and anything else that can be used for a ‘riot.’”
The right-wing rally dubbed “No to Marxism in America 2 / Exposing Communism” was sponsored by Amber Gwen Cummings, a self-described transgender patriot, who says she has a beef with radical, violent leftists, who self-describe as antifascists. The Sunday event is a follow-up to a similar rally that Cummings organized in August 2017.
The last year march ended up with some protesters being arrested and some people being seriously injured, prompting the police to take heavy security measures this time. The counter-protests are particularly attended by the members of leftist groups Refuse Fascism and By Any Means Necessary, along with a few others.
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