By Jerika L.H.
An anti-fascist activist (pictured above) still remains unidentified after a violent altercation with white supremacists at Sunday’s neo-Nazi rally at the State Capitol. The 19-year-old known only as Vincent is currently hospitalized and receiving treatment for six stab wounds; it remains unknown if he is in intensive care or the severity of his condition. Six activists in total still remain in the hospital. The young man carried no form of identification and his last name remains a mystery to those who only met him briefly before he was rushed off to receive medical care. His lack of identifying documents are making it impossible for hospital staff and fellow activists to contact his family to notify them of his condition. Witnesses who had spoken to Vincent prior to the stabbing divulged that he is originally from Chicago and had only lived in Sacramento for six days. Concerned parties have taken to social media to spread his photo, in hopes that someone can identify him and notify his family and friends.
The altercation that led to his injury stemmed from the permitted white supremacy rally on the Capitol grounds last Sunday. Anti-fascist activists took up violent methods to express their vehement disapproval of the Traditionalist Worker Party’s presence. Seven people ended up stabbed and nine were hospitalized after a series of violent outbreaks that some in the Antifa Sacramento group call “a warning to racists that white supremacy will be met with dedicated anti-fascist militancy.”
A masked Antifa (anti-fascist) member named “Mo” echoed the sentiment. “We are here to ricochet the violence of oppression and racism back onto the bodies of those that inflict it on us, both historically and at present. We are standing up as a call to arms that we won’t let white supremacy parade in our street and continue to terrorize people. The racism that is embedded into our social structure does physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional harm to people of color and we are putting our foot down today with this event, which has been sponsored and harbored by the state and sanctioned by the police. This is a domestic terrorist group that has been responsible for countless deaths and violence.”
While many have questioned the state’s approval of the rally, permit given the violent clashes between protestors and white supremacists that took place in Anaheim earlier this year, others have come forward to voice their support for public manifestations of white supremacy. Mainstream media has also been met with accusations that portrayals have sympathized with the neo-Nazi group, or “racist apologism.”
Online polls have shown mixed acceptance of the violence, while others have regarded it as “a breach on freedom of assembly.” Many activists admitted to arriving with the intention of violence, but others say they have been misrepresented as the aggressor. In addition to wooden poles, the police recovered a loaded gun but have been unable to identify its owner or affiliation.
Witness Byron Allan recounts his take on what unfolded Sunday. “I was there from the start. From the beginning the organizers stated that our mission was to keep them off of the Capitol steps. Only to obstruct and if you had to, defend yourself. We waited in the baking hot sun for 3 1/2 hours chanting ‘Nazi scum, get off our streets’ and other various derogatory epithets. Around 12:30 we received intel that they were being held back by the police on the south side. We rushed over there ready to shout them down. There was a brief faceoff before the group of Nazis rushed the police line. The protesters that were willing to fight did and a few paid the cost. The peaceful protesters stayed back. Somebody maced the crowd forcing us back to the west side. I remind you that there were people in their 60’s on our side. I personally saw two black guys that had been stabbed. Then through pretty much mass consensus we decided to take their venue as recourse. We sat there in heat drinking water and chanting. When a couple of them snuck around to the south side and started zieg heiling, in recourse to the stabbings, they got beat with sticks and an ashtray rained on them. The damage to the window was a result of the cops bringing the Nazis inside the Capitol. We weren’t there to destroy our own city, but when tensions are high s*** happens. After that the rally was canceled. We then decided to stay until the time their permit was set to expire. Job done. What we did was not unconstitutional. The constitution is to protect us from the government becoming tyrannous.” He continues, “Our intent was obstruction not destruction. We knew that violence was possible, but that wasn’t our goal. There were people in their 60s on our side. We weren’t trying to put [other activists] in harm’s way. But, in my opinion, if the people wielding sticks didn’t square off with the Nazis, more people would have been stabbed.”
Demonstrator Mario Chavez admits he can understand the anger but says it wasn’t worth it. “I don’t think any one of us is worth getting hurt over their white supremacy- we are harmed enough by it. They [TWP] are making fools of themselves to hold this rally. They are 20 crazy people. I’m saddened we weren’t able to just come here and laugh at them. It hurts my heart that people on our side were injured. Especially since the white supremacists are just going to say “self-defense” and the structurally racist court system will bow to them – they will get away scot-free.”
Antifa Sacramento released the following statement on Sunday: “Today in Sacramento, Anti-Fascist Action in conjunction with hundreds of fellow Anti-Fascists from near and far successfully shut down the Traditionalist Worker’s Party (TWP) attempt to hold a white supremacist rally on the capitol. Protestors took and held the west steps, preventing the fascists from being able to reach their rally destination. TWP chairman Matthew Heimbach skipped out on the rally despite making previous plans to attend, opting instead to send his footmen out to do his dirty-work. Two lone bigots briefly made their way to an adjacent side, where one of them sieg heiled on the Capitol steps. Despite the circumstances, the fascist thugs celebrate their poorly coordinated and executed ‘mobilization’ of around 20 people as a victory, solely on the grounds that they injured more people than their opposition did. Our victory did not come without consequence, and several have been hurt.” Among those injured is Vincent, the unidentified teen in question. As for the others who received medical treatment, CHP Officer George Granada commented, “Luckily there were no injuries to officers, tourists or people of the general public.”
Anti-repression organizer K. Karlson has been among those desperately seeking answers on Vincent’s identity. “He came to the Capitol Sunday to oppose the violence of neo-Nazis and the klu klux klan. He was on the south side of the Capitol when the Nazis rolled through with bayonets and wielding knives and was stabbed multiple times in the chest. He went into hospital without having told his friends his last name and he’s very likely one of two in critical condition. Supporters are unsure if his family has been notified of his condition at present. The fund that was originally set up for jail support has been converted to a fund for medical assistance.” Currently, $12,466 has already been raised by 216 people through the following online platform: https://rally.org/June26th?utm_source=share.
Anyone who recognizes Vincent from the sole masked photo is asked to contact the funding website, or reach out to the local Antifa Sacramento group with any information that may lead to his identification.
The left wing fascist thugs tried to shut down the right wing fascist thugs. Leftist organizations called BAMN and Antifa precipitated the violence then it got out of hand.
There seems to have been a rise in political violence this year – I’ll be interested to see if that continues or if this is just a blip.
You’re correct and most of the violence is coming from the left. Take the Trump rallies as an example.
BP wrote:
> You’re correct and most of the violence is coming from the left.
Violence comes when people are pretty sure “they can get away with it”
In the 1950’s people would often beat down gay guys they saw kissing knowing that the conservative anti-gay politicians and cops would look the other way.
Today people are going to continue to beat down Trump supporters knowing that since every major city in america is run by liberals the anti Trump politicians and cops will look the other way.
P.S. While it is true that many individual cops are pro-Trump I don’t believe that a single major city police union will endorse Trump and every cop knows that if you get your union mad at you your career is in trouble.
P.P.S. Not to pick on the left since I know that right wingers in little right wing back waters around the US will still give the beat down to “people they don’t like the looks of” knowing that their hillbilly cops/politicians/cousins will look the other way…
“Violence comes when people are pretty sure “they can get away with it””
That I disagree with.
I see it differently – I see both sides playing a role in the uptick – it is a response and counter-response. When both sides arrive armed, the “he started” defense no longer works.
It’s the image
“That I disagree with.”
Then why did most of the Antifa and Bamn leftist fascists wear masks and bandannas over their faces?
All in the wording, some would see it as an attack by the leftist fascists and then a self defense counter-response.
The cops have stated that the leftist groups started the violence.
I’m more interested in the rise of political violence than trying to pin-point whether it’s a left or right phenomena. Both groups are extremists. The Neo-Nazis were trying to provoke a response. They got the response they wanted. Not sure what they gain from it. I support the right of free speech, but I would have preferred everyone would have ignored them.
“When you encourage rage you cannot then feign surprise when people become enraged.” — Alex Massie, http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/06/a-day-of-infamy/
“Then why did most of the Antifa and Bamn leftist fascists wear masks and bandannas over their faces?”
“It is a response and counter-response”
That line from me was not in response to that line from you.
I wrote:
> Violence comes when people are pretty sure
> “they can get away with it”
Then David wrote:
> That I disagree with.
You may “disagree” but you can’t ignore the fact that a very small percentage of violent acts occur when someone does not think “they can get away with it”. Have you ever you heard of a skinhead running unarmed in to a NAACP rally to punch someone or a BLM guy running in to a KKK rally to punch someone? Do even .01% of attacks and/or rapes occur when the attacker or rapist knows an armed cop is watching?
You seem to be brushing this off as if the Neo-Nazi’s got what they asked for.
What if 400 2×4 wielding mask wearing Neo-Nazi’s showed up at a permitted BLM rally with 30 pericipants and started beating them with the clubs as the cops stood back and let it get started. Would you just be writing it off that the BLM provoked a response? I think we all know the anser to that.
I think both sides got what they asked for and neither is sympathetic.
Don’t kid yourself, you know as well as I if my scenario ever happened imo you would be writing multiple articles about the travesty of it all.
David, I find it interesting that you’ll “be interested to see” if there is an increase in political violence… I’d abhor, condemn it, but that’s just me… hpierce, reporting…
BP wrote:
> The left wing fascist thugs tried to shut down the right wing fascist thugs.
Not only that the “left wing fascist thugs” got the “right wing fascist thugs” national publicity and will probably help them recruit when they now have vireos like the one below showing a crazy racist white guy attacked by a crazy fascist minority women (while police watch and don’t seem to care)…
http://kste.iheart.com/onair/armstrong-and-getty-53826/video-yvette-felarca-and-her-cohort-14861776/
It is important that all white guys didn’t grow up playing golf at the country club with their Dad and his buddies from the Sutter Club (more white guys grew up with Dads in jail than any other race). With Latinos taking almost all the jobs that these poor uneducated white guys did when I was a kid (e.g. construction, farm & ranch fix it guys, etc.) there is a LARGE and growing group of white guys who don’t have good jobs and don’t have a bright future.
SOD, I’ve read many acounts where TWP said the officers just let things happen and get out of hand. They said the riot cops didn’t try to keep the groups separated as they had done in past rallies. Your video backs up their claims.
I wee where the Yvette Felarca in your video is a middle school teacher in Berkeley. She’s also a BAMN organizer. Are these the types of teachers we want teaching our kids? It looks like some of the school’s parents don’t think so.
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2016/06/27/anonymous-email-threatens-students-at-berkeley-school-after-sacramento-rally-tied-to-local-teacher/
Sounds like the cops didn’t think any of the people who came to the rally to fight were worth getting injured over.
Who does one root for? Sounds like the cops rooted for them to sort it out themselves.
“Are these the types of people we want teaching our kids?”
Maybe yes maybe no. It depends on whether or not she has broken any laws. I can’t really figure it out from the videos. Organizing and protesting are not prohibited activities. If she gets charged for something that subjects her to be removed from the classroom under the statutes that apply then she should not be in the classroom until the case is settled. If she is convicted she would likely then have her credential revoked.
I do find it ironic that a person who teaches at a school named for MLK has embraced the rhetoric of Malcolm X.
Of course its not surprising that the same people who always try to defend racism on the Vanguard want to condemn only one side here. From my view it looks like a lot of young people came looking for trouble and found it. Meanwhile the homeless guy towing his things in a red wagon who ended up in the middle of it all seems to get no help from anybody.
Perhaps all these young people should listen more attentively to Taylor Swift:
“Haters going to hate hate hate hate,
Shake it off.”
Who ever tries to defend racism on the Vanguard? Examples please.
Misanthrop(e)
is “assault” a crime? Or, only in “context”? Is it OK to assault someone who believes something different than you do?
Like you, I cannot identify the person, so, the presumption is she was not involved… but if she were, would you opine that it was justified (not on her turf… if true, she would appear to have sought out the confrontation), and that a public school teacher should not be subject to any discipline? up to and including dismissal?
If she gets convicted of a crime she should be subject to whatever penalties fall out from that. But a bunch of incoherent video that I can’t make sense of isn’t enough for me to say she should lose her credential. However if what people are saying is true that she crossed a line between peaceful protest into violence then a complaint should be filed with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing the body that has the power to evaluate whether or not she should lose her credential.
Who defends racism? You and Frankly are chief suspects in the defense of racism. You’re even defending it here by implication. In fact, I think the more important question is give me of an example of time when you condemned racism here.
Examples please. Until you can provide proof, which I can tell you right now that you can’t, you need to clam it.
Look at the 4 minute mark in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76xZBgFhm6Q
Misanthrop wrote:
> Of course its not surprising that the same people who
> always try to defend racism on the Vanguard
Like BP I can’t think of anyone who defends racism (other than the few who claim that saying “ALL lives matter” is racist and that it is “not racist” to have a blacks only publicly funded “safe space” with a blacks only drinking fountain). I would also be interested in reading their names and even better a few links to past Vanguards (that should be easy to find if they are “always” defending racism).
The Pugilist wrote:
> there is far too much in the way of KKK sympathy
Can you name even one person in Davis that supports the KKK? How about posting the name of a single person out of the 2 million + in the Sacramento MSA who is a KKK supporter? I have met some racists in my life but in all my years I have never met (or heard of anyone else I know who has met) a KKK supporter (or actual “Klan” member)…
South of Davis
You may or may not “know me”. I have no way of knowing since you are anonymous, however, I have related on the Vanguard several times an incident that happened in Sacramento where a KKK supporter and self avowed white supremacist would not allow anyone of dark skin to so much as touch her to provide medical care.
Yes, racism exists here. It is not “de minis” as Frankly frequently says in what I consider to be a minimization if not a defense. It is certainly not “de minims” for those who are adversely affected by it.
Tia wrote:
> I have related on the Vanguard several times an
> incident that happened in Sacramento where a KKK
> supporter and self avowed white supremacist would
> not allow anyone of dark skin to so much as
> touch her
Back in 2014 you didn’t mention she was a “KKK Supporter and wrote: “The patient said that she did not allow black people to touch her”
https://davisvanguard.org/2014/08/hate-is-not-a-davis-value/
Are you sure she said she was an actual “KKK Supporter”? How many of the other 64 US white supremacist that are big enough to have a Wikipedia page did she also tell you she supports?
As I have said before we all know that there are “racists” even here in liberal Davis, but while I would not be surprised to find some “KKK Supporters” in white trash trailer park in rural Mississippi I’m guessing that actual KKK supporters around here is pretty small (maybe even smaller than the number of al Qaeda or Boko Haram “supporters” living in the area).
Good find SOD. I think if the patient said she was a KKK supporter that certainly would’ve part of the original story. I guess it made for a better “story” today for the current article.
The Pugilist wrote:
> Who defends racism? You and Frankly are chief
> suspects in the defense of racism.
How long did you search before giving up trying to find a single time when I (or Frankly) “defended racism” to the Vanguard site.
All racism is bad and since I was a little kid my parents told me “not to judge people by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”…
South of Davis
“Are you sure she said she was an actual “KKK Supporter”?”
Actually, you are technically correct. It was not my patient, but rather her boyfriend that made reference to the KKK as he was being escorted from the hospital by security for his threatening behavior to multiple members of our staff. The patient, as you pointed out only claimed to be a white supremacist.
Call me naive, but when one or both groups arrive with “bayonets and wielding knives” why was it allowed to continue? What grounds are permits acceptable? This illustrates the extent of tolerance to uphold our right to freedom of expression. My heart goes out to all the injured, especially “Vincent”. What a sad story.
Hi SODA,
My thoughts also. It would seem to me that intent to commit violence would be apparent from the presence of weapons. Would that not be enough to stop a “peaceful public event” before the violence starts.
I recently attended a Stanley Cup playoff game in San Jose. Every bag or container was searched and prohibited items secured outside or discarded. I find it difficult to believe that the police could not provide the same level of security for the numbers of demonstrators on both sides here.
I may be kicking a hornets nest here, but I think that this does speak to the larger issue of tolerance for violence in our society. And I also believe that SOD is correct that tolerance for violence does seem to hinge on which side of the political spectrum one is on with each side essentially making up stories about why it is more justified when their side resorts to or instigates violence.
Tia wrote:
> I recently attended a Stanley Cup playoff game in San Jose.
> Every bag or container was searched and prohibited items
> secured outside or discarded.
Does this mean you in favor of “stop and frisk” by the police?
I don’t have any problem with Tia searching the bags of people she invites over for dinner or if a privately owned stadium wants to search people before they let them in, but I have a problem with the searching random people…
Actually, am more concerned with comparing the demo/counter-demo being viewed as a “spectator sport” (a hockey game), which we promote and provide ‘security for’… particularly in the absence of ‘referees’, because having ‘referees’ would “chill” free speech. Taking the analogy further, perhaps the fall of the Roman Empire was due to not enough security at the entrances to the “games”…
The media, including the VG, helped to ‘egg this on’ in my opinion, by their ‘reporting’ prior to the event… reminds me much of a certain presidential candidate…
Hpierce, I agree, funny but that’s the first thing that came to my mind when I heard that violence had erupted at the event.
Meeee Toooooo
“Does this mean you in favor of “stop and frisk” by the police?”
No. It means I would favor confiscation of obvious weapons carried by those supposedly attending a “peaceful gathering “.
“random people”
I do not believe that people gathering for a “peaceful gathering” for which they have a permit, or those who go to counter their event to be “random people”.
Will there be a body cavity search for the Vanguard 10th celebration? Sounds like it may be a good idea.
Or a good time, if you’re into that kind of thing.
David (and all), re: your 7:36 post…
What if the 30-50 “demonstrators” had been completely ignored? Left to talk to the squirrels and themselves?
What if the “counter-demonstrators” had just taken up a perimeter, and silently turned their backs to the folk whose views they opposed?
Watch those videos… listen to the cheering when people were attacked and injured… folk on both sides seemed to want to fight, and has a certain “blood lust” about it.
Animals… perhaps the police should have left and let them kill each other, then let them handle their own injuries/casualties… no police nor EMT services provided… we might at least have fewer rabid animals around…
That would be a peaceful non-violent protest. Very effective and the WSs would have got little press, except to say only 30 showed up. Ha ha.
Also non-violent and peaceful and effective.
Yup.
On a less extreme scale, that is kinda what happened. The police knew these confrontations had got out of hand in other cities. No surprise. So seems like they let it happen.
Except, we acted as “co-dependents”… we saved them from the logical results of their respective ‘manias’… this shouldn’t be WWF RAW… a spectator sport supported by the public… with the Police as ‘referees’… both sides were “acting out”…
Yet, I wonder, WWJD? WWGhandiD? WWMLKJrD? WWDaliLamaD?
Perhaps we need a vaccine for political ‘rabies’…
Random thought… should counter-demonstrators require a permit as the demonstrators did? Just a thought…
Their organized response is that they are not organized, so require no permit.
Alan, love the truthful irony you posed… wish I had wrote my comment that way…
hpierce wrote:
> should counter-demonstrators require a permit
> as the demonstrators did?
We are heading down the road where where every year the government takes more and more of our rights and sells them back to us by making us buy a “permit”.
If we have “freedom of assembly” we should not have to “pay for a permit” to assemble (to protest or counter-protest)…
I’m pretty sure that the founding fathers did not want us to ask the government to “permit” us to assemble (and pay them so we can do it).
I’m in the minority on a lot of things and I’m fine if we go through the steps to amend the Constitution and if the majority of Americans are OK with getting rid of freedom of assembly I’ll accept that (and happily pay for a permit to assemble). I’m not OK with the government just ignoring the Constitution and deciding who gets to assemble (and who has to pay to do it).
Guess I have a different view from the Vanguard on this one – I think the police are derelict here – they should have intervened far earlier. I applaud the leftists for standing up to the KKK and fascism. We cannot afford to allow it to take root and there is far too much in the way of KKK sympathy. BP, it reads like you’re trying to defend the KKK here because they are on the right. Am I wrong?
The Pugilist wrote:
> I applaud the leftists for standing up to the KKK
They were not standing up to the “KKK” they were standing up to the “Traditionalist Worker’s Party” http://www.tradworker.org/
I went to the web site and while I would not be surprised that every member is is just as racist as a KKK member or Nazi I didn’t see any hoods or swastikas at the event…
How would we know? Isn’t there a reason the KKK wear hoods? But I do know people like Bill Calhoun have stories about KKK hotspots in the 70s. Are you they gone now? Perhaps. But then again, I thought Trump would crash and burn.