On Saturday, thousands of Trump supporters gathered in Washington, DC, to participate in the so-called Million Maga March. The walk commenced in protest to Trump’s loss in this year’s presidential elections, with pro-Trump advocates claiming that the votes allegedly got rigged. However, a face-off between Proud Boys and Antifa’s groups erupted during the rally, shifting people’s attention from the pro-Trump supporters’ march to the two groups’ clash. Dan Noyes, and I-Team reporter, saw and witnessed the violence that exploded amidst the ongoing rally.
Hundreds of Californian pro-Trump crusaders gathered for the rally at the State Capitol, with only 30% of them cast their votes on Trump in this year’s presidential elections. According to them, Trump losing his presidential position to Biden is still unaccounted for, protesting for a national recount of votes and pushing the unproven claims of the existence of voter fraud. The crowd of Trump supporters chorused, “four more years, four more years” throughout the march.
A Vietnam veteran appeared and talked to the crowd in a booming voice. According to him, California used to be a nice place and that for over decades, several people tried to steal their nation away from them. As a result, the rally attracted a large group of Asian American individuals and locals from different parts of the state. One Trump advocate who is very wary of the media and refuses to give his name declared that he is there to support the Constitution, every American’s right to vote, and President Trump.
The I-Team found several members of the Proud Boys group scattered in the crowd and on stage. According to the Southern Poverty Law Office, Proud Boys is a far-right hate group. This troop consists of all-male and anti-immigrant members, known for their street violence history against their left-wing rivals throughout the years since 2016. Their platform ideas include libertarianism, traditional gender roles, and Trumpian motives. Furthermore, the Proud Boys’ popularity also stemmed from violent street rallies from the past two years within New York, Oregon, and Washington areas. Last year, two of its group members got arrested for knocking out Antifa protesters in New York.
While the rally is ongoing, a group of people dressed in all black with faces concealed arrived at the scene to show their defiance. A woman in black even used a bullhorn to mock the Trump advocates present in the march, chanting a chorus of, “Trump lost, trump lost.” After knowing what happened, Antifa Twitter accounts requested a kickback in the rally.
Antifa, on the other hand, is a loose organization consisting mostly of left-far reformers. The group’s name is the shorter term for the word “anti-fascist” and includes members who are social democrats, anarchists, and communists. According to them, the use of violence is acceptable under the condition of employing it in self-defense. During the Black Lives Matter campaign, the group marked its presence, often associated with the unrest occurring in Portland, Oregon.
Both groups are relatively small in number. However, their thirst for violence has made their reputation more known to the general public.
For the most duration of the day, the CHP and Sacramento police kept the clashing groups apart from each other. During the proceeding rally, Dan Noyes reported how strange the set-up between the two groups is. Counter-protesters and Antifa members caught picking fights with Trump supporters throughout the entire event. Not long after, the Proud Boys organization arrived at the scene, confronting the counter-protesters by unleashing clouds of the bear spray against them.
Despite the chaos, the police reported no serious injuries from those who participated in the Saturday march protests. Additionally, authorities only made two arrests that day.
