by Robert Stuart Lowden
Sunday, Apr. 18, 2010 at 10:12 PM
rlowden@earthlink.net
Angry Crowd Erupts In Judgement And Physically Attacks Non Nazi Counter Demonstrator / Photo Set 1 of 1
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About a half an hour before the demonstration for The National Socialist Front or The American Neo Nazi Party began, a murmur went through the left side of the counter protesting crowd. A shouting match had started between two of the counter protesters. A crowd began to gather around the two men. A white haired activist wearing a t-shirt that read "eracism" who was holding an AnsweLA.org sign was arguing with a man who was holding a bullhorn and a sign that read, " Chri$tianity = Pagani$m = Heatheni$m = Naziism ..... Burn In Hell " The sign used a small swastika to finish the ambiguous statement instead of spelling out naziism. The man's sign also had two marriage equality stickers on the back.
The crowd quickly grew more rabid and began to shout down the now perceived "Nazi". He shouted through his bullhorn that he was exercising his right of free speech whereupon the growing crowd shouted back that he had no free speech rights. At this point several of the anti-Nazi counter protesters began to tear the demonstrator's sign from his hands. A few seconds later the man began to receive kicks and blows to the head from the rapidly advancing crowd.
They pushed him to the ground.
His sign was torn to shreds.
The counter-protester that participated in the initial altercation pulled away from the fracas.
At this point the police presence for this certain altercation was completely absent.
The assaulted protester pushed himself up from the ground, now with the help of a few nonviolent people.
The crowd continued to assault him with kicks, punches and perhaps bicycles.
A number of people, perhaps five to ten or so began to defend the assaulted protester. One man in particular probably saved a life by covering the victims head with his torso and hands absorbing the multiple kicks and punches coming from the mob of counter-protesters.
The good Samaritans pulled the fellow up and tried to run him down the street to safety but the assaultive crowd grew and continued the attack. They repeatedly hit him, kicked him. and again knocked him to ground.
There was a line of officers holding back the crowd from L.A. City Halls south lawn about 50 to 80 yards from the beatings.
However, still no police assistance.
Several women tried to assist the victim by walking him away to safety but he was attacked yet again, whereupon he ran and then fell to the ground against the curb.
The crowd descended on him again while his protectors vigorously surrounded him making a human chain of protection around the mistakenly perceived Nazi..
At this point a group of policemen came to the mans aid, pushing away all attackers or protectors and then proceeding to escort the victim to safety. On their return to the south lawn they formed a phalanx as angry anti-nazi protesters taunted them shouting slogans that equivocated the Ku Klux Klan and the L.A.P.D.
The victim seemed to have minor contusions, bruises and some bleeding. He was ambulatory however; walking out with the police escort.
