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'GO HOME NAZIS'
A "WHITE Lives Matter" rally in Orange County was cut short after the marchers were outnumbered and chased down by a hundreds-strong swarm of "anti-fascist" counter-protesters.
A series of brawls broke out between the two factions after at least 300 protesters surrounded the handful of WLM activists gathered for a rally at Huntington Beach on Sunday afternoon.
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The contingent was greeted with chants of "Go home Nazis" from the crowds of counter-protestors gathered at the beach.
Police declared an "unlawful gathering" and told both sides of what they described as an "unruly crowd" to leave, despite originally allegedly not bothering to keep the two sides apart, it was reported.
Counter-protesters were armed with strongly-worded signs - one featuring an image of a KKK hood, with a cross through it.
Cops made numerous arrests on both sides near the pier as several altercations, some physical, broke out between the two groups.
Many amongst the WLM crowd showed off a range of objectionable ink, which saw them branded "white supremacists".
In one skirmish, a man and a teenager marching for WLM and waiving a "Don't Tread On Me" flag were chased around an intersection by a crowd of counter-protesters before being surrounded.
Police on horseback had to ride into the crowd to scoop the men up. The pair were then driven away from the scene in an SUV.
In another heated exchange, a middle-aged woman was seen approaching a counter-protester who was chanting "Black Lives Matter", and mocking her.
She eventually threw her coffee into the face of the counter-protester, the Orange County Register reported.
William Quigg, the leader of the Loyal White Knights branch of the KKK in California, was also seen waltzing through the crowd.
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Tory Johnson, founder of local grassroots group Black Lives Matter Huntington Beach, addressed the sea of people in attendance - who clapped and cheered as he spoke.
Ahead of the counter-protest, he said on Facebook: “We are united in Huntington Beach against racism and hate.
“White supremacy is not welcome here and we will do everything possible to prevent this rally and defend our community from racist terrorism.”
One such demonstrator was taken into custody for using amplified sound, reports the LA Times.
Huntington Beach police Lt. Brian Smith said a second man was also taken into custody.
He told the news outlet that second person had a weapon on him, described as a baton.
A total of 12 people were reportedly arrested during the Huntington Beach rally.
Cities across the country had been bracing for similar scenes after a series of WLM marches were scheduled for Sunday.
Fliers with KKK propaganda were delivered to homes in Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Long Beach, ahead of the demonstrations, the LA Times reported.
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The self-described anti-fascist protesters had gathered in Orange County, and also in New York, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Ohio on Sunday to rally against other planned WLM marches.
The marches were organized by Ultra-right groups that have called for April 11 to be a national day of White Lives Matter.
However, many of those events failed to materialize, except for in California.
Investigators have not yet been able to pinpoint who the organizers of the WLM march were, although it was heavily endorsed on social media.
Police, however, do not believe the same people are responsible for distributing the fliers and for organizing the rally.
Cities including Fort Worth, Chicago, Raleigh, Albuquerque, and Columbus also expected rallies this weekend.
But not everywhere had such spiteful scenes, with a small antifa group in Philadelphia organising a "Picnic Against Hate" - offering free food to attendees.
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Ahead of the event, Lt. Smith said: “Our hope is that everybody can come express their free speech in a peaceful manner today.
"There will be a large contingent of police officers working in the area, along with various assets including a regional mounted unit and aviation assets.
"Additional resources from allied agencies will also be on standby should the need arise, which is common practice for large planned events, including sporting events, community events, rallies and protests."
The rallies were reportedly advertised on instant messaging service Telegram.
A statement on the posts read: "To revive the White Racial Consciousness and to unify White People against white hate.
"A show of support for White victims of interracial crime.”
Huntington Beach is an area notoriously plagued with extremism, dating back decades.
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Its piers and surf spots were a regular haunt of skinheads, white supremacists and neo-Nazis, and a string of horrific hate crimes over the years have secured its spot as a radical region.
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Sunday's commotion comes as Black Lives Matter protests have again taken to the streets in protest after a 20-year-old black man was shot dead in a traffic stop just north of Minneapolis.
A curfew has been enforced and tear gas fired in Brooklyn Center after Daunte Wright was killed - just a stones throw away from where Derek Chauvin, the cop accused of George Floyd's murder, is on trial.
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