Above photo: Photos by @ChuckModi1 and Samuel Corum.
“Antifa Ends Tonight.”
Black Lives Matter Signs And Memorials Destroyed. Report from All out DC on violent far-Right attacks from gangs of Proud Boys following the #MillionMAGAMarch in Washington DC.
Thousands of Trump supporters rallied in Washington, DC, to build popular support for a Trump-led coup. The demonstration was organized as a “Stop The Steal Rally,” which promoted far-Right conspiracies that Trump actually won the 2020 election in a landslide. Among those protesting was the far-Right street gang the Proud boys, QAnon supporters, neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic activists like Jason Kessler, Baked Alaska, Vincent James, and Jovi Val, white nationalist “Groypers” led by Unite the Right marcher Nick Fuentes, and conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones.
In response, a coalition of activists from DC came together to respond to threats to marginalized communities and to protect artwork at Black Lives Matter Plaza and memorials to the dead. While defending Black Lives Matter Plaza from right-wing violence, at least one journalist was attacked by a large group of Proud Boys.
As night fell, the leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, posted on the Right leaning social media site Parler, “DC Antifa ends tonight.” Soon after, hundreds of violent Proud Boys took to the streets with the intention of attacking anti-Trump protesters at Black Lives Matter plaza. In the violent clashes that ensued, three people were stabbed by Proud Boys including POC and LGBTQ people, with two people being sent to the hospital in critical condition. At least one trans man was also queer-bashed and physically assaulted by right-wingers.
https://twitter.com/BobbySpumoni/status/1327840582627172352
https://twitter.com/2lesslegs/status/1327985431464472576
Numerous media outlets have attempted to minimize the violence or present it as coming from “both sides.” Far-Right trolls with long histories of working with violent racist groups have also selectively edited and manipulated video to make it appear that anti-Trump demonstrators attacked random Trump supporters. In reality, right-wing groups invaded Black Lives Matter Plaza with the expressed intent of causing physical violence. Thousands of Trump supporters destroyed art and memorials of Black people murdered by police. Numerous examples of these acts were caught on camera.
https://twitter.com/BobbySpumoni/status/1328047528923815936
After anti-fascist activists from Femme Anarcho-Abolitonist Network (FAAN), All Out DC, and Black Lives Matter DC went home, Proud Boys continued their rampage and destroyed signs of community support for the Black Lives Matter movement, while MPD watched and did nothing.
In the past 5 months, we have witnessed police and the National Guard being deployed across the US under the pretext of protecting private property — yet it seems when violence and property destruction comes from far-Right street gangs that support Trump, this violence is allowed. Throughout the day, MPD also made it clear who they support, as they attacked DC residents while protecting violent fascist groups.
At the time of this writing, at least a few dozen people have suffered minor injuries. One person’s injury was just “a millimeter from vital organs.” Fascist violence only grows when we ignore it. If we do not stop the spread of the growing fascist movement both within the GOP and on the streets, deaths like Heather Heyer’s will be in vain.
While liberals campaigned for people to stay home, antifascists activists came out, like Richard Ramirez “I didn’t want DC — especially Black Lives Matter Plaza, or members of marginalized communities — to get hurt or killed by right-wing extremists. People stayed home, either out of legitimate fear, or because they believed ‘this is what Trump wants’ allowed for violence to happen in our community.”
We are lucky that no one was killed, but right-wing violence and destruction prevailed last night because of the lack of community response and facilitation by the State.