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SACRAMENTO — Sunday at the Capitol was anything but peaceful. It was the scene of a bloody protest as a white supremacy group and counter-protesters got violent.
In total, 10 people (nine men and one woman between the ages of 19 and 58) were injured on Sunday, June 26, 2016 from multiple stab and laceration wounds.
Approximately 350 counter-protesters showed up and positioned themselves around the Capitol to stop the Traditionalist Workers Party (TWP) from rallying, even though the group had a permit to do so. At approximately 11:45 am, TWP members came out to a location south of the Capitol building.
“At that point the word spread pretty quick and a mob ran in that direction and they clashed immediately with each other,” said George Granada, CHP public information officer. “As people tried to leave the area, smaller fights broke out.”
Video at the scene shows people hitting each other with sticks. Some had their faces covered with scarves and masks. Protesters also had knives, rocks and pepper spray.
Five of the 10 injured had stab wounds that required critical medical care. Sacramento Police Department Officer Matt McPhail said it was unclear which groups the injured were associated with and that the injuries were not immediately known, but believed to be non life-threatening.
Granada said more than 100 CHP and Sacramento police officers were at the park to keep the peace, but the ground spans five city blocks and violence broke out intermittently. A loaded 9 mm pistol was found, but the CHP didn’t recover any knives or other weapons.
TWP leader Matthew Heimbach, who was not at the rally, had told CNN that members were arming themselves at the rally with knives and blades that were within California’s legal limit.
He also added that two of his comrades were hurt—one stabbed and the other hit in the face with a bottle.
“The anti-fascists used knives, bottles, bricks and chunks of concrete they broke off a construction site. When they attacked, our men defended themselves to be able to drive off the attackers.”
TWP Vice Chairman Matt Parrott, who was not present at the Sacramento rally, said it was a peaceful march and blamed “leftist radicals” for instigating violence.
According to the LA Times, the neo-Nazi group had planned a demonstration for several weeks. However, counter protesters also appeared to be well-organized and prepared for the event. Many carried signs or banners with slogans such as “Many colors one working class! Smash patriarchy and racism.”
So far no arrests have been made, although detectives are scouring hundreds of hours of video from the scene in hopes of identifying suspects.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center—an organization that monitors hate groups—the TWP was formed just last year as part of a right-wing “umbrella group that aims to indoctrinate high school and college students into white nationalism.”
Heimlich also appeared on television news reports following a rally for Donald Trump on March 1, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky where he allegedly shoved an anti-Trump protester and shouted “leftist scum” at her.
A federal lawsuit has been filed against Trump, Heimbach and others. However, Trump and others have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The plaintiffs have until July 4, 2016 to file a response to that motion.
