3 stabbed in clash during KKK rally

Punches were thrown as fights broke out, and blood was splattered all over the sidewalk. In the 1920s some Klansmen held elected office in the city, which was overwhelmingly white but now has a majority of Hispanics among its roughly 350,000 residents. He said he saw a protester smash a window and the windshield out of the Klansmen’s SUV while another stood nearby with a metal pipe. The Klan’s members arrived dressed in their typical black clothing with patches of the Confederate battle flag sewn on them. Nevertheless, the confrontation quickly turned violent: One Klansman stabbed a counter-demonstrator with a flagpole bearing an American flag.

Police also released a photo of one person, a protester, who was wanted on suspicion of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. “I was afraid for their lives”.

“Thank you”, the man replied, according to Mr Levin.

One protester eventually collapsed to the ground with stab wounds.

“Three people were stabbed by the fire hydrant”, said Darren Simpson, 49.

“I helped two Klansmen get out of the way”, said Levin as he headed to the police station to give his witness statement.

The Klan, known for their white robes and peaked hoods often worn by its members, has a long history of violence toward African-Americans, Jews and other groups, according the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups in the United States. In 1924, four of the five members voted to its City Council belonged to the Klan. At that point the Klan members were “swarmed” by protesters, who attacked them with at least one wooden plank, witness Brian Levin told AFP. Both Klan members and counter-protestors were among those injured. More than a dozen people were arrested in all.

The Ku Klux Klan was founded in the mid-19th century after slavery was abolished in the US South. That’s when Levin said he had to step in – put his body in harm’s way – to defend the leader of the Loyal White Knights of the West. “But there was around 10 people that just started hitting the guy”.

Some were seen kicking a man whose shirt read “Grand Dragon”, the name of a high-ranking KKK member, reports said.

“I’m still sort of a tad bit shaken by it”, he said. “It’s insane, especially in a park where you take your kids”.

The initial clash spawned “several separate fights”, Wyatt added, noting that the three stabbing victims were all counter-protesters, while another two KKK members were stomped by the crowd.

“Based on a video a detective reviewed, it does appear to be self-defense and defense of another”, said Sgt. Daron Wyatt.

The former Klansman and 1992 presidential hopeful said on his radio program on Thursday that not voting for the GOP front runner would be “treason to your heritage”.

“In case we’re assaulted, we will assault back”, said Barker, who did not go to the rally and talked by telephone from North Carolina.

Last year, the group drew headlines when it protested over the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Capitol.