Pro And Anti-Trump Rally In Berkeley Turns Bloody
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Supporters of President Donald Trump clashed with counter-protesters in Berkeley during a rally Saturday in support of the president.
People wearing goggles, motorcycle helmets, gas masks or with their face half-covered with bandanas pushed each other, threw punches and hit each other with the sticks holding their signs or American flags.
Video of scattered fights showed smoke bombs being thrown at the crowd and at least one man pepper-spraying a brawling group. Paramedics helped at least two men, one seen bleeding from the head and the other with cuts on his face.
Berkeley Police officers in riot gear arrested at least one person at the rally that attracted hundreds of pro-Trump supporters and opponents at a park less than a mile from the University of California, Berkeley campus.
Last month, chaos erupted at the university when protesters of an appearance by Milo Yiannopoulos set fires, smashed windows and hurled explosives at police.
"This is the most immature and disgusting display of human interaction," David Tomes, a pro-Trump marcher draped in a "Don't Tread on Me" flag, told the San Francisco Chronicle. The yoga studio owner said he has been targeted for his political beliefs.
