Ku Klux Klan rally in California erupts in violence; 3 stabbed, 13 arrested https://t.co/C1hIDA8lNg pic.twitter.com/nggQLtEF0N
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) February 28, 2016
Several counter-protesters were taken into custody after stomping a KKK member on the ground, Wyatt said.
Wyatt said the altercation took place as soon as several Klan members arrived at the park north of Disneyland for a planned rally there.
“As soon as they got out of their vehicle they were attacked by counter-protesters and this caused a melee down the block,” he said.
Wyatt said four people were wounded in the ensuing confrontation. The person most seriously wounded was stabbed with a flagpole that had an American eagle finial at the top, and was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
Several witnesses said that a peaceful counter-protest had been under way for about three hours when the Klansmen arrived in a black SUV.
The vehicle pulled up and three men got out and began to unload signs when the group of about 50 counter-protesters approached them, yelling and throwing sticks, witnesses said.
Its 2016 & the Ku Klux Klan are STILL allowed 2 show up & commit violent acts upon citizens.But the real problem is Beyonce,right? #Anaheim
— Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) February 27, 2016
“Three people were stabbed by the fire hydrant,” said Darren Simpson, 49. “These Klan guys were fighting for their lives.”
The Klan members attempted to get back into the car, but it sped off, leaving them behind, said Dion Garcia, 37.
He said the angry mob chased the Klansmen down the block, yelling: “Get out of here! You’re not welcome!”
“It was crazy,” Garcia said. “A lot of us were trying to break it up. This was not necessary, they should’ve just let the Klan protest. This is America, we have free speech.”
The Klan is a terrorist organization. Their rallies don't erupt in violence, they *represent* violence https://t.co/am8QYyZn8V
— andré carrington PhD (@prof_carrington) February 27, 2016
The Klan, founded after the abolition of slavery in the US South in the mid-19th century, has evolved in recent years into a collection of loosely affiliated or independent groups that share a political philosophy based on racial separation.
Most recently it made national headlines when a former KKK leader, David Duke, said he backed Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.
Trump rejected Duke’s support and on Friday a man wearing a shirt reading “KKK endorses Trump,” was ejected from a Trump campaign rally in Oklahoma.
– Reuters
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