Several stabbed as protesters fight neo-Nazis in California
Melee erupts when demonstrators try to stop white supremacists from holding rally at Capitol building in Sacramento
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SACRAMENTO, California — At least five people were stabbed outside the California state Capitol building in Sacramento as left-wing counter-demonstrators in masks and balaclavas skirmished with neo-Nazi protesters.
Officer Matt McPhail with the Sacramento Police Department said none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.
The victims were all present while a protest took place, though McPhail said it was still unclear whether and how they were involved.
The Traditionalist Workers Party had scheduled and received a permit to protest at noon Sunday in front of the Capitol. McPhail said a group of counter-protesters showed up to demonstrate against them.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has described TWP as a group formed in 2015 as the political wing of the Traditionalist Youth Network, which aims to “indoctrinate high school and college students into white nationalism.”
Dozens of counter-protesters held signs calling the group “Nazi scum,” and calling to “smash racism.”
Graphic videos from the scene showed protesters with bats, rocks and other weapons beating other people as police struggled to maintain order.
https://twitter.com/ABC10Frances/status/747139514246672384
VIDEO: Police stepping in to stop a man from being attacked. @ABC10 pic.twitter.com/Wzd9Q8zt1j
— Frances Wang (@FrancesWangTV) June 26, 2016
Flyers handed out before the rally had described the event as an “anti-Antifa” demonstration against anti-fascist groups working to thwart TWP and other skinhead and neo-Nazi groups.
A group calling itself Bay Area Antifa had called for people to come to the Capitol steps on Sunday morning to counter-protest the neo-Nazi groups and keep them from demonstrating.
The Times of Israel Community.