A Sunday rally on the steps of the state capitol in Sacramento, California, descended into a bloody battlefield. The White supremacist organizations Traditionalist Worker Party and the Golden State Skinheads were holding a planned event to “protest against the globalization and in defense of the right to free expression.” According to the group’s website it promised to make a stand similar to the historical battle of Thermopylae made famous in the action movie 300.
However,when the members of the group of around 25 arrived they were outnumbered by a mob of counter-protesters wearing masks and carrying baseball bats and other weapons. Tensions boiled over when a man carrying a “White Power” protest sign confronted a group of counter protesters. After a heated verbal altercation, he was bashed in the back with a rock and surrounded and beaten. Police have estimated at least 400 counter-protesters were scattered across the capital grounds and at least 100 officers were mobilized to keep the peace. The event took an especially violent turn when one Black protester was allegedly stabbed by a neo-Nazi..A witness identified as Andrea Combs stated to media, “He’s 25, he’s from Carson City, his name is Nate. … The Nazis are after the Black people. I saw the second stabbing victim drop, too.”
Police have stated a total of 10 people were injured, all had multiple stab wounds and lacerations. One of the victims was a member of the White supremacist group who suffered a serious injury to an artery. The protest soon took to the streets surprising many tourists in the area who were unaware of what was happening a short distance away. Police soon blocked off entire streets to contain the growing mob and violence. Workers at the capitol were told to shelter in place as police subdued the violent protests. There has been no word on arrests are charges of any protesters.
