Ku Klux Klan rally erupts in violence; 5 hurt, 13 arrested

Around midday local time, half a dozen KKK members arrived at the protest site in Anaheim where they were “swarmed” by protesters, who attacked them with at least one wooden plank, witness Brian Levin said.

“Preliminarily, it appears six KKK people arrived and were immediately attacked by counter-protesters, which led to a counter-protester being stabbed,” said local police spokesman Sergeant Daron Wyatt.

 

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Counter-protesters scuffle with a Ku Klux Klansman in Anaheim, Califoia on Saturday afteoon. Three people were stabbed, one of which was critically wounded, police said

The initial clash spawned “several separate fights,” Wyatt added, noting that the three stabbing victims were all counter-protesters, while another two KKK members were stomped by the crowd.

Of those arrested so far, six were KKK members and seven were from the rival demonstration, Wyatt said.

The counter-protesters “smashed the side window of the Klan SUV and the front windshield,” said Levin, who heads the Centre for the Study of Hate & Extremism at Califoia State University in San Beardino.

“At that point, the crowd got extremely violent.”

 

In this scene from the scuffle, counter protesters appear to fight with a KKK member as he stabs an attacking protester. Blood splatters can be seen on the pavement

Some of the protesters started kicking a man wearing a shirt that read “Grand Dragon,” said Levin, describing the KKK members’ wounds as ranging from “minor to significant.”

“He was kicked when he was down (on the ground),” he said.

 

Counter protesters are shown above as they taunt an injured Klansman. The event quickly escalated into violence and three people were arrested following the melee

Levin said he had attended the rally as an observer, but ended up standing in between the Klansmen and the crowd of angry protesters to try to stem the violence.

“I helped two Klansmen get out of the way,” said Levin as he headed to the police station to give his witness statement.

“I told the crowd: Dr (Martin Luther) King wouldn’t approve of this, please don’t harm these men.”

After pushing a Klansman away from the crowd, Levin said he asked him: “How does it feel that your life was just saved by a Jewish man?”

The man replied “thank you,” according to Levin.