Anti-Fascists Shut Down Nazi Rally at California State Capitol

[Note: out of an abundance of caution, most faces and identifying marks have been blurred due to nazis doxxing antifa activists since the shutdown.]



A little over a month prior, Anti-Fascist Action Sacramento issued a call-out to "confront these bigots, deny them a platform to promote hate and to make sure they know they are not welcome on our streets or in our communities."

A diverse showing from across Northern California came out in solidarity. A militant antifa force of anarchists, punks, anti-racist skinheads, white, Black, Latino, Asian, cisgendered, queer, and trans folks set out to deny the Nazis their rally — and they succeeded.

Despite claims by CHP's George Granada, there were never thirty Traditionalist Workers Party supporters present on Capitol grounds at any one time. He was correct that there were roughly 100 police present, on horses, in riot gear, with bikes and crowd control weapons, not to mention plenty of live ammo, mostly on the perimeter of Capitol grounds.

If the Nazis could have even gotten three dozen racists to show up together in public, the anti-fascists had already out-organized them and arrived in the hundreds well before the permitted rally was set to begin. Antifa covered the grounds, keeping their eyes out for approaching Nazis, and repelled them as they arrived, usually alone or in pairs.

The success of preventing the Nazis from having their moment in the sun came at a steep price, however, when the largest group of perhaps ten or so Nazis arrived at once on the southeast corner of the main Capitol grounds with shields and knives. According to the fundraising site for comrades, six brave souls were stabbed and three others suffered blunt force trauma during clashes with these Nazis. CHP's Granada did PR work for the Nazis, relieving them of responsibility in the corporate media.

This reporter did not witness the stabbings in progress up close, but I did see at least four people receiving medical care for stab wounds, three of them African American. One stabbing victim was a 58-year old woman who was doing nothing more than yelling. Some were stabbed multiple times. Paramedic services appeared to be unprepared for the number of casualties, or slow to recognize the scale of the situation. Several people languished on the ground for a fair amount of time, receiving basic field care from antifa medics, before ambulances arrived to transport each of them to the hospital. At least two people were reported to be in critical condition.

I heard from a direct witness at the scene of that largest melee of the day that the Nazis shouted the N-word at one man as they stabbed him. Another said the Nazis did a call and response using the N-word, and when a man ran toward them saying something to the effect of "fuck this," the Nazis stabbed him as he approached.

These Nazis, the largest group who dared show up that day, were then run off, as can be seen in this video. They were pursued by anti-fascists on foot for blocks down N Street, until the Nazis jumped in one getaway car and then another to flee the scene.

Two Nazis did make it to the west steps of the Capitol building, in seeming safety behind the police line. But, when one of them threw up a Nazi sieg heil salute, all hell broke loose. Rocks, water bottles, and everything people could get their hands on began to fly, including two large concrete ashtrays that were smashed on the spot to create more projectiles.

Police on horses were hit, increasing the confusion as they spun around, nearly trampling those below. As the police line fell apart under the shower of debris, people began to run directly at the two Nazis on the steps, pummeling them with sticks until bloodied enough that they relented and left the scene with police escorts.

After repelling a few more Nazi stragglers who showed up late at the edges of the Capitol grounds, word spread that the rally had been cancelled. Shortly after 2pm, a small group of antifa literally did a victory lap, marching in the streets surrounding the grounds, and then that was it. Tourists moved back in, the Capitol building was re-opened, and it was a normal, hot summer Sunday afternoon in Sacramento.

The focus now is on supporting those seriously injured by the Nazis. Please, donate if you can.


"No Nazis in Our Streets!" fundraising page:
https://rally.org/June26th

Full Indybay coverage of the antifa action:
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/06/29/18788329.php