It was a nice day for a peaceful protest in San Diego, California — 68 degrees. Trump supporters hosted a Patriot rally set to begin at 2 p.m. PT on Jan. 9, 2021. Angry counter-protesters confronted them; some were armed with baseball bats and sticks.
The Patriot’s flyer listed the purpose for their rally:
To stand up for our Republic, our Constitution, and for our Freedom.
The aerial photos provided by NBC 7 News show a crowd of patriots walking down the boardwalk adjacent to the Pacific Beach pier carrying Trump 2020, American, and Don’t Tread on Me flags.
When the counter-demonstrators, “allegedly Antifa members,” showed up interrupting the peaceful rally, they were wearing all black, reports OANN. Their presence aggravated the situation:
At one point, at least one alleged Antifa member even sprayed chemicals in a person’s face.
Riot gear clad San Diego police arrived. The officers formed two lines to separate the patriots from their opponents.
The SDPD posted tweets with updates. At 3:35 p.m., a post reports projectiles and pepper spray were thrown at officers.
Twenty minutes later, the confrontation between the patriots and “Antifa” was declared an unlawful assembly due to violence.
Participants were ordered to leave the area and not to return lest they be arrested. The SDPD said anyone who returned would be “at risk for chemical exposure or less-lethal force applications.”
At 6:30 p.m., the patriots and all other groups had left the area, reads the update on the SDPD Facebook page. They have not provided information regarding any injuries or arrests.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
One American News Network: Antifa Protesters Clash With Trump Supporters In Calif.
Facebook: San Diego Police Department
NBC 7 News: Aerial Images: Droves of Pro-Trump Supporters, Counter-Protesters Flock to Pacific Beach; by Karla Rendon-Alvarez
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Amy the Nurse’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of kura huff’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
