A man has been stabbed after protesters opposing vaccine and mask mandates outside Los Angeles City Hall squared off with counter-demonstrators, described as Antifa activists by the police.
Chants of USA! USA! pic.twitter.com/T5Ms4cFSlE
— Lefty-Desiree McLefty Face, Antifa Paparazzi (@TinaDesireeBerg) August 14, 2021
Dozens of people waving American flags and carrying anti-vaccine posters turned out at a protest against the measures aimed at mandating Covid-19 vaccinations on Saturday afternoon. While no such mandate currently exists, the Los Angeles City Council voted on Wednesday for city attorneys to start working on a law that could bar residents who refuse to take at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine from visiting restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and even from shopping in person.
The rally, however, soon descended into violence after brawls broke out between the rival parties.
Los Angeles: Multiple Antifa get beat to the ground in huge brawl at LA City Hall. pic.twitter.com/g13sIr4As8
— Tomas “Vote Yes To Recall” Morales (@TomasMorales_iv) August 15, 2021
Violent clash outside City Hall in Los Angeles today pic.twitter.com/qkNtyafR4a
— Dallas (@59dallas) August 15, 2021
At one point, a man was stabbed in the chest and collapsed on the street. Footage from the scene shows paramedics using a stretcher to load up the victim into an ambulance. No arrests have been made so far.
Stabbing victim per LAPD is a Hispanic male, thought to be in his 20s- following Socal Antifa Black Bloc vs. Patriot Militants street brawl. I zoom in after on the bloodied cloths & American flag hat belonging to the victim. #Antifa #LosAngeles Rally for Medical Freedom. pic.twitter.com/PjYNQradc3
— Jeremy Lee Quinn (@JLeeQuinn) August 15, 2021
The man was taken to a hospital in a serious condition, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Whether the stabbing victim was part of the ‘Medical Freedom’ rally is so far unclear. An American flag can be seen on a close-up shot of what is purported to be the victim’s cap - which some commentators interpreted as a sign that he was with the anti-vaccine demonstrators.
Didn’t know this was in dispute. The cloths belonging to the victim were not Antifa Black Bloc. They are stars & stripes (handkerchief & hat). @N2Sreports also photographed this. The cloths of the Hispanic male stabbing victim are still in the road at sundown. pic.twitter.com/YAWtCAWFCT
— Jeremy Lee Quinn (@JLeeQuinn) August 15, 2021
Citing accounts provided by the witnesses, police said that his attacker was clad in black, The Los Angeles Daily News reported, without providing additinoal details.
While neither the victim’s identity, nor that of the attacker have been revealed the police drew outrage from liberal commentators after they identified the counter-protesters as “Antifa,” a loose coalition of left-wing activists that sometimes employ violence, and members of the “Medical Freedom” rally as “people gathered for the permitted event” in a statement about the stabbing incident.
“LAPD claims “antifa” is responsible for violence at the anti-mask, anti-vaxx protest full of proud boys and other white supremacists. Cops and klan go hand in hand,” one irate observer quipped.
In a separate incident that transpired at the rally, KPCC radio reporter Frank Stolze claimed that he was assaulted “by a group of guys” at the rally. Stolze tweeted that the attackers kicked him and ripped off his glasses, but later said that he was “mad, but fine.”
Something happened to me today that’s never happened in 30 yrs of reporting. In LA. @LAist I was shoved, kicked and my eyeglasses were ripped off of my face by a group of guys at a protest - outside City Hall during an anti-vax Recall @GavinNewsom Pro Trump rally. pic.twitter.com/6s2Jfm8Xrg
— Frank Stoltze (@StoltzeFrankly) August 15, 2021
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