Multiple Stabbings Reported in Clashes Between White Supremacists and Anarchists in Sacramento
At least five people were stabbed at a protest in front of Sacramento’s Capitol building in a fight that broke out between 25 permit-wielding protestors from the Traditionalist Worker Party and 150 counter-protesting anarchists, according to the Sacramento Police Department
The Traditionalist Working Party is a white supremacist organization and the anarchists self-described themselves as the “anti-fascist” resistance. Protestors on both sides of the fray were stabbed.
Sacramento Police Chief Sam Somers told the Sacramento Bee that “it’s a highly volatile situation,” and “ regardless of the message it’s the skinhead’s first amendment right to free speech.”
Local ABC News reporter Frances Wang documented the clashes:
Insane video. Crowd sees any signs of "Nazis" and they run&attack. A lot of people bleeding/getting maced. @ABC10 pic.twitter.com/PoFhILfZ95
— Frances Wang (@ABC10Frances) June 26, 2016
Here is a little more about what members of TWP believe, from their website:
European-Americans are the descendants of indigenous people of Europe. They are often identified on government forms as Caucasian or ‘white.’ We believe that European-American identity is under constant attack by members of American institutions such as the state, education, culture and even churches.
Another guiding value of TWP’s platform, according to their website, is “multiculturalism” in that they believe in “multiple cultures or ethnicities existing in a country, but separated in their own enclaves, to safeguard those differences.”
Counter-protestors were reportedly referring to police who arrived at the scene as “Nazi chauffeurs.”
The original Traditionalist Working Party protest planned for the day was canceled.