An ugly scene developed at the Million MAGA March on Saturday when a Black Lives Matter supporter and a man who was marching with an anti-fascist group harassed a multiracial family that was out showing their support for President Donald Trump.
Thousands of Trump supporters converged on Washington, D.C., on Saturday to rally around Trump. However, tensions flared in the afternoon after hordes of counterprotesters assembled.
MAGA moving to SCOTUS >> The crowd of several thousand is now heading east on Pennsylvania Ave, marching past Trump… https://t.co/tIgd2XKU8K
— Mike Valerio (@Mike Valerio)1605378189.0
One of the counterprotest groups at the Trump rally was Refuse Fascism, a self-described “national movement organizing to drive out the Trump/Pence regime.” The anti-fascist group had announced days earlier that they were holding a counterprotest to “overwhelm” Trump supporters.
“We are gathering non-violently,” Lucha Bright of Refuse Fascism told WUSA-TV. “We are not intending to engage them. We want to overwhelm them with our numbers. If they attack us, that is not out of the realm of possibilities of what they do. But we are hoping, especially if we gather in large numbers, that we will overwhelm them with our strength.”
Video from Saturday shows a group dressed in all black holding bright orange “Refuse Fascism” signs pursue a multiracial family, which included three young children. Several people in the mob get in the face of the black mother who is wearing a Trump jacket and pushing a stroller with an infant at Black Lives Matter Plaza.
A woman wearing a “Black Lives Matter” shirt gets in the face of the mother, but is separated by a man, presumably the father. Then the BLM supporter gets in the face of the father, and it sounds as if she screams at him, “You’re an ugly b****!” The mother yells, “Get away!” One of the daughters is seen crying.
The father prods the woman with his flag pole to keep the woman at a distance. The woman then charges at the father to try to take away his Gadsden flag, he waves her off with his hand. Then a man dressed in all black that was walking with the anti-fascist group advances at the father and attacks him.
The father retaliates by hitting the man with the flagpole. The woman runs at the father and is also struck with the flagpole. The father gets shoved to the pavement, and he falls on top of the small child, who screams in pain. Police immediately separate the two sides.
Video taken by photojournalist Jorge Ventura shows the woman and the man had bruises on their heads.
(Content Warning: Graphic video)
Fight breaks out on BLM Plaza between a family supporting Trump and pro-BLM supporters moments ago. DC police tryin… https://t.co/FEJD1sbjCM
— Jorge Ventura Media (@Jorge Ventura Media)1605385578.0
In another video, couple holding a “Refuse Fascism” sign harass a reported Trump supporter who’s son appears to be wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.
Trump supporter who has a small child with him are arguing with BLM supporters on BLM Plaza https://t.co/P21sm6yToN
— Jorge Ventura Media (@Jorge Ventura Media)1605387424.0
Earlier in the day, there were black bloc protesters with signs that read: “Punch MAGA in the face,” who antagonized Trump supporters gathered near the Supreme Court, where a scuffle broke out.
At Supreme Court, antifa activists, some of its riot shields, are here with a banner reading “Punch MAGA in the fac… https://t.co/bMUMyNkGQt
— Ford Fischer (@Ford Fischer)1605376663.0
Both sides are doing a bit of antagonizing …. gesturing at each other to fight, but they’re separated by both a b… https://t.co/twTRZGUW5S
— Shelby Talcott (@Shelby Talcott)1605383397.0
Scuffle breaks out by the Supreme Court, tensions are very high at the moment #MillionMAGAMarch https://t.co/cisf7y2DJ4
— Jorge Ventura Media (@Jorge Ventura Media)1605382183.0
Before the counterprotesters arrived on the scene, thousands of Trump supporters sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” in unison.
Thousands of Trump supporters sing the “Star Spangled Banner” in unison. https://t.co/Dm30sGGPv0
— Savanah Hernandez (@Savanah Hernandez)1605375278.0
Before the Million MAGA March kicked off, Trump drove by in his motorcade and gleefully waved to his supporters.
President Trump just drove by the #MillionMAGAMarch in DC and the crowd went crazy. I ran along side the motorcade.… https://t.co/7LOxNksHtW
— Sara Sidner (@Sara Sidner)1605366871.0
BREAKING – President Trump has motorcade take him to the Million MAGA March in Washington DC.
https://t.co/U54Bwsvx9k
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@Disclose.tv 🚨)1605368588.0
Trump supporters rush toward Trump’s motorcade during the march https://t.co/zD3NQxDgeH
— philip lewis (@philip lewis)1605372342.0