KKK members linked to violent brawl released
Around midday, half a dozen members of the white hate group, whose ranks still number several thousand in the United States, arrived at the protest site in Anaheim, officials said.
Mr. Levin said he had come to the rally as an observer and that he had found among members of the KKK and the crowd of their opponents in the process of trying to calm the violence.
The protesters immediately moved in, surrounding the Klansmen.
After three men left the SUV and began to unload signs, about 50 counter-protesters rushed over, throwing sticks and yelling, witnesses said. Two Klansmen were stomped on by several of the protesters.
An American flag pole, topped by an eagle ornament, is believed to have been used to wound three demonstrators.
“I got stabbed”, a man is then heard screaming, lifting his T-shirt to show a wound to his stomach. A flame hydrant where the man quickly sat was secured in blood. The three stabbing victims were transported to a local hospital, and all were listed in stable condition by Saturday evening. The seven people who remained in custody were booked for assault with a deadly weapon or elder abuse for stomping on a Klan member who’s older than 65 years old, police said.
But one counter-protester told the news agency “They started pulling out weapons”.
Anaheim police had alerted the community that the demonstration would be taking place, reminding citizens of the KKK’s First Amendment rights.
The melee spanned a block-long area, he said.
All four stabbing victims, including one suffering critical injuries, were part of a group that faced off with the rallying KKK members on Saturday in the city of Anaheim, police said.
Four people initially arrested were released after police conducted an investigation. “Preventing violent confrontations is always our goal; unfortunately the handful of individuals committed to criminal behavior this afternoon caused the violent episode”, he said in a statement. “Anaheim is proud to draw strength in its diversity, tolerance and kindness, and Saturday’s events run counter to that”.
Sgt. Daron Wyatt said five KKK members were attacked at 12:10 p.m. on the south side of Pearson Park by multiple counter protesters. Cautioning that officers had a “tough job” to protect everyone, Mayor Tom Tait said that police are conducting an internal review to assess whether the department’s performance could be improved.
“We’re a far cry from those awful times and the Klan is really an anachronism”, Levin said, according to AP, adding: “Anaheim is now a diverse community that is in many ways an amusement and sports capital of California”.
Charles Edward Donner, 51, of San Francisco was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and bail was set at $25,000.
On Saturday, five people were injured and 13 other arrested in Southern California after a Ku Klux Klan rally erupted into clashes.
Giovanni Namdar, 25, who runs an auto body shop near Pearson Park, said he saw people speaking passionately on a stage before the violence broke out.