Pro-Trump protests staged across US, rival groups clash in Washington
Text by:NEWS WIRES
Conservative groups claiming without evidence that the Nov. 3 election was stolen from President Donald Trump staged protests across the country on Saturday, with one in Washington turning violent at times as police broke up sporadic clashes after dark.
Organizers of Stop The Steal, linked to pro-Trump operative Roger Stone, and church groups urged supporters to participate in "Jericho Marches" and prayer rallies.
But groups of pro-Trump "Proud Boys" protesters and "Antifa" counterprotesters brawled in downtown Washington on Saturday night. Police moved in quickly to separate them, using pepper spray on members of both sides, Reuters witnesses said.
Around 200 members of the Proud Boys, a violent far-right group, had joined the marches earlier on Saturday near the Trump hotel. Many wore combat fatigues, black and yellow shirts and ballistic vests, carried helmets and flashed hand signals used by white nationalists.
Earlier, police in riot gear and on bicycles kept the opposing demonstrators apart by blocking streets. After dark fell, the protesters - including members of the aggressive far-left anti-facism movement - splintered into smaller groups to roam the streets in search of their rivals.
Protests were also held in other communities around the country, including Atlanta, Georgia, another state where Trump's campaign has sought to overturn Joe Biden's election victory, and Mobile, Alabama, according to local news coverage.
Local media in the Washington state capital of Olympia reported that one person was shot and three arrested after clashes between pro- and anti-Trump protest groups.
Thousands of people have gathered at Freedom Plaza for the main #MarchForTrump rally in Washington DC demanding to #stopthesteal
According to videos online, proud boys march has now joined the main crowd, while some scuffles broke out at BLM plaza.
📹 By Dakota Santiago (FNTV) pic.twitter.com/Qm5R7W4PKZ— @SCOOTERCASTER (FNTV) (@ScooterCasterNY) December 12, 2020
'Take a deep breath'
More than 50 federal and state court rulings have upheld Biden's victory. The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected a long-shot lawsuit filed by Texas and backed by Trump seeking to throw out voting results in four states.
"Whatever the ruling was yesterday ... everybody take a deep, deep breath," retired Army General Mike Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, told protesters in front of the Supreme Court, referring to the court's refusal to hear the Texas case.
Flynn who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contacts with the former Russian ambassador, spoke in his first public address since Trump pardoned him on Nov. 24.
"My charge to you is to go back to where you are from" and make demands, Flynn told the crowd, without being more specific. The U.S. Constitution is "not about collective liberty it is about individual liberties, and they designed it that way," he said.
Trump, a Republican, has refused to concede defeat, alleging without evidence that he was denied victory by massive fraud. On his way to Andrews Air Force Base and then the Army-Navy football game in New York, Trump made three passes in the Marine One helicopter over the cheering protesters.
During his first debate with Biden in September, Trump gave fuel to the Proud Boys movement by telling the group to "stand back and stand by." He later said he condemned the group and "all white supremacists".
Maskless protests
Trump's supporters carrying his campaign flags and signs marched between the Supreme Court, the Capitol and downtown Washington, which was closed to traffic by police vehicles and dump trucks.
Few of the marchers wore masks, despite soaring COVID-19 deaths and cases, defying a mayoral directive for them to be worn outside. Several thousand people rallied in Washington, fewer than during a similar protest last month.
As some in the crowd echoed far right conspiracy theories about the election, a truck-pulled trailer flew Trump 2020 flags and a sign reading "Trump Unity" while blaring the country song "God Bless the U.S.A."
"It's clear the election has been stolen," said Mark Paul Jones of Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania, who sported a tricorner Revolutionary War hat as he walked toward the Supreme Court with his wife.
Trump "is being railroaded out of office," he said, adding that Biden won with the complicity of the Supreme Court, FBI, Department of Justice and CIA. The Supreme Court "didn't even take the time to hear the case," Jones said.
Eddy Miller of Philadelphia, who was selling Trump campaign T-shirts, said he was sure "there was fraud despite what I see on the news" about court rulings striking down fraud allegations.
Battle of Jericho
Some protesters referenced the Biblical miracle of the battle of Jericho, in which the walls of the city crumbled after soldiers and priests blowing horns marched around it.
In his speech, Flynn told the protesters they were all standing inside Jericho after breaching its walls.
Ron Hazard of Morristown, New Jersey, was one of five people who stopped at the Justice Department to blow shofars - a ram's horn used in Jewish religious ceremonies - to bring down "the spiritual" walls "of corruption."
"We believe what is going on in this county is an important thing. It's a balance between biblical values and anti-biblical values," Hazard said.
His small group, including one member who wore a Jewish prayer shawl known as a tallit, are Christians "who love the Jewish people. We love Israel," he said.
(REUTERS)
Trump allies protest Biden win in D.C.
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn addresses a pro-Trump rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Supporters of President Donald Trump marched Saturday in Washington, D.C., challenging the election results that gave President-elect Joe Biden the win.
The protesters gathered in Freedom Plaza in the morning as part of the "March for Trump," Organizers expected the crowd to grow to up to 15,000 people, according to a permit from Women for America First, a conservative group, which also organized Saturday's along with last month's "Stop the Steal" rally, USA Today reported.
The Washington Post reported that few demonstrators wore masks and as of midday there were few counterprotesters. The newspaper said hundreds of the Proud Boys -- a group linked to white nationalism -- and six men in the Three Percenters militia were among the crowd.
The protesters marched from Freedom Plaza to the Supreme Court, where former national security advisor Michael Flynn spoke to the crowd. Trump granted Flynn a pardon last month after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.
RELATED More than 100 House Republicans back Texas election challenge
The march comes one day after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Texas' effort to overturn election results in four battleground states.
Flynn expressed hope of fighting the election results.
"Don't get bent out of shape," Flynn told the crowd of protesters gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court. "There are still avenues -- We're fighting with faith and we're fighting with courage."
Trump offered his support to the march participants.
"Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington D.C. for Stop the Steal," he tweeted Saturday morning. "Didn't know about this, but I'll be seeing them!"
The Electoral College is set to make Biden's 306-232 delegate win official Monday, but Trump and his allies have repeated allegations of voter fraud. U.S. elections and security officials, as well as Attorney General William Barr, have said there's been no evidence of widespread fraud.
Among the rally speakers were former Trump aide Sebastian Gorka as well as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, both of whom traveled to the capital from COVID-19 hotspots. South Dakota, which has the second-highest rate of COVID-19 infections in the country with 10,136 cases per 100,000, and Minnesota -- Lindell's home -- had on average 85.5 daily cases per 100,000 reported in the past seven days, according to the CDC.
Pro-Trump election protests descend into violent clashes
Tensions between pro-Trump demonstrators and counter protesters descended into violence, with reports of at least 4 people being stabbed.
Saturday's rallies drew a large number of "Proud Boys" who faced off with counterprotesters
A rally of pro-Trump demonstrators descended into violence in the late hours of Saturday, as members the Proud Boys group clashed with Antifa counter protesters.
Protesters marched in support of outgoing President Donald Trump's baseless claims that the election was rigged, and that Democrat Joe Biden wrongfully won the election.
Stop The Steal
The rallies, where few people wore masks, were organized by Stop The Steal, linked to Roger Stone, an ally of the outgoing president.
Trump celebrated the protest on Twitter, saying: "Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal. Didn’t know about this, but I’ll be seeing them!"
During the early hours, the president's motorcade drove by the protesters. The Marine One helicopter carrying Trump to the Army-Navy football game passed over a rally at the National Mall in the afternoon, and was met with cheers from the crowds.
Organizers and church groups urged supporters to participate in "Jericho marches" and prayer meetings. Protests were also planned in states where Trump's campaign has challenged the election outcome, such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona.
All of Trump's campaign claims of election fraud have been rejected by state and federal courts. The Electoral College is scheduled to meet on Monday, to formally elect Biden as the president.
"My charge to you is to go back to where you are from and make demands. The US Constitution is "not about collective liberty it is about individual liberties, and they designed it that way," Mike Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser told the crowds.
Tense atmosphere after rallies
Saturday's rallies drew a large number of "Proud Boys," a neo-fascist group. As the rallies ended, there were some tensions in downtown Washington among Proud Boys and Antifa activists. There was heavy police presence, with some in riot gear.
Around 200 Proud Boys gathered after the rallies, dressed in the group's colors of black and yellow, with ballistic vests and helmets.
The two groups shouted insults at each other from across the streets, and some set off fireworks, but were kept apart by the authorities, Reuters reported. Police pepper sprayed at least two counter protesters, soon after which Proud Boys left the area.
Around 8 pm, violence broke out between the Proud Boys and counter protesters. The brawl ensued for several minutes before police arrived. An officer told The Washington Post that a man in his 20s had been stabbed, and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Fox 5 DC tweeted that at least 23 arrests had been made related to the protests, citing the DC Mayor's office.
Trump is yet to concede defeat in the elections. President-elect Biden will be sworn in on January 20 next year.
tg/aw (AP, Reuters)
Members of the far-right group Proud Boys make 'OK' hand gestures indicating "white power", near the Washington Monument, amidst protests against the results of the election, in Washington, U.S., December 12, 2020. REUTERS - JIM URQUHART
Issued on: 13/12/2020 -
Text by:NEWS WIRES
Conservative groups claiming without evidence that the Nov. 3 election was stolen from President Donald Trump staged protests across the country on Saturday, with one in Washington turning violent at times as police broke up sporadic clashes after dark.
Organizers of Stop The Steal, linked to pro-Trump operative Roger Stone, and church groups urged supporters to participate in "Jericho Marches" and prayer rallies.
But groups of pro-Trump "Proud Boys" protesters and "Antifa" counterprotesters brawled in downtown Washington on Saturday night. Police moved in quickly to separate them, using pepper spray on members of both sides, Reuters witnesses said.
Around 200 members of the Proud Boys, a violent far-right group, had joined the marches earlier on Saturday near the Trump hotel. Many wore combat fatigues, black and yellow shirts and ballistic vests, carried helmets and flashed hand signals used by white nationalists.
Earlier, police in riot gear and on bicycles kept the opposing demonstrators apart by blocking streets. After dark fell, the protesters - including members of the aggressive far-left anti-facism movement - splintered into smaller groups to roam the streets in search of their rivals.
Protests were also held in other communities around the country, including Atlanta, Georgia, another state where Trump's campaign has sought to overturn Joe Biden's election victory, and Mobile, Alabama, according to local news coverage.
Local media in the Washington state capital of Olympia reported that one person was shot and three arrested after clashes between pro- and anti-Trump protest groups.
Thousands of people have gathered at Freedom Plaza for the main #MarchForTrump rally in Washington DC demanding to #stopthesteal
According to videos online, proud boys march has now joined the main crowd, while some scuffles broke out at BLM plaza.
📹 By Dakota Santiago (FNTV) pic.twitter.com/Qm5R7W4PKZ— @SCOOTERCASTER (FNTV) (@ScooterCasterNY) December 12, 2020
'Take a deep breath'
More than 50 federal and state court rulings have upheld Biden's victory. The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected a long-shot lawsuit filed by Texas and backed by Trump seeking to throw out voting results in four states.
"Whatever the ruling was yesterday ... everybody take a deep, deep breath," retired Army General Mike Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, told protesters in front of the Supreme Court, referring to the court's refusal to hear the Texas case.
Flynn who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contacts with the former Russian ambassador, spoke in his first public address since Trump pardoned him on Nov. 24.
"My charge to you is to go back to where you are from" and make demands, Flynn told the crowd, without being more specific. The U.S. Constitution is "not about collective liberty it is about individual liberties, and they designed it that way," he said.
Trump, a Republican, has refused to concede defeat, alleging without evidence that he was denied victory by massive fraud. On his way to Andrews Air Force Base and then the Army-Navy football game in New York, Trump made three passes in the Marine One helicopter over the cheering protesters.
During his first debate with Biden in September, Trump gave fuel to the Proud Boys movement by telling the group to "stand back and stand by." He later said he condemned the group and "all white supremacists".
Maskless protests
Trump's supporters carrying his campaign flags and signs marched between the Supreme Court, the Capitol and downtown Washington, which was closed to traffic by police vehicles and dump trucks.
Few of the marchers wore masks, despite soaring COVID-19 deaths and cases, defying a mayoral directive for them to be worn outside. Several thousand people rallied in Washington, fewer than during a similar protest last month.
As some in the crowd echoed far right conspiracy theories about the election, a truck-pulled trailer flew Trump 2020 flags and a sign reading "Trump Unity" while blaring the country song "God Bless the U.S.A."
"It's clear the election has been stolen," said Mark Paul Jones of Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania, who sported a tricorner Revolutionary War hat as he walked toward the Supreme Court with his wife.
Trump "is being railroaded out of office," he said, adding that Biden won with the complicity of the Supreme Court, FBI, Department of Justice and CIA. The Supreme Court "didn't even take the time to hear the case," Jones said.
Eddy Miller of Philadelphia, who was selling Trump campaign T-shirts, said he was sure "there was fraud despite what I see on the news" about court rulings striking down fraud allegations.
Battle of Jericho
Some protesters referenced the Biblical miracle of the battle of Jericho, in which the walls of the city crumbled after soldiers and priests blowing horns marched around it.
In his speech, Flynn told the protesters they were all standing inside Jericho after breaching its walls.
Ron Hazard of Morristown, New Jersey, was one of five people who stopped at the Justice Department to blow shofars - a ram's horn used in Jewish religious ceremonies - to bring down "the spiritual" walls "of corruption."
"We believe what is going on in this county is an important thing. It's a balance between biblical values and anti-biblical values," Hazard said.
His small group, including one member who wore a Jewish prayer shawl known as a tallit, are Christians "who love the Jewish people. We love Israel," he said.
(REUTERS)
Thousands of Trump supporters again rally in Washington
Protesters gather in Washington in support of President Donald Trump on December 12, 2020; they insisted, without evidence, that he had lost the presidential election in November only through massive fraud
TASOS KATOPODIS GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Issued on: 13/12/2020 -
Washington (AFP)
Thousands of red-hatted protesters filled Washington streets Saturday to support Donald Trump's baseless claims of election fraud, undeterred by the US Supreme Court's rejection of what may have been his last chance to overturn the results.
Thousands gathered around Freedom Plaza, a few blocks from the White House, in a festive atmosphere earlier in the day, while scuffles broke out later between protesters and counter-demonstrators.
Police, some in riot gear, used their bodies and bicycles to keep the groups apart. There was also at least one clash between police and counter-protesters.
Six people were arrested, following five arrests Friday night related to a brawl, local media reported.
Some pro-Trump demonstrators showed up in tactical gear, chanting "USA" and "four more years" for the outgoing president.
It was a sizable crowd, but noticeably smaller than a similar rally a month ago when 10,000 people converged near the White House to support Trump.
"We're not gonna give up," said Luke Wilson, a sixty-something protester who had come all the way from the western state of Idaho.
"I believe there is a big injustice being done to the American people," added Dell Quick, a regular at Trump's political rallies. He brandished a flag defending gun rights.
Protesters offered no shortage of explanations for the results of the November 3 election won by Democrat Joe Biden, even though it has been affirmed by state election officials -- several of them Republican -- and by judges in several key states.
Every state has now certified Biden's victory, giving the Democrat 306 votes in the Electoral College to Trump's 232, with 270 required for election. Electors are to formally cast their votes Monday.
But protesters insisted, as Trump has repeatedly done, that there was widespread fraud in the election.
Some pointed to "foreign interference," others to software that allegedly erased millions of votes for the president -- but not those for other Republican candidates on the same ballots.
Quick told AFP that "there's no way possible" Biden was elected.
Susan Bowman, a 62-year-old from Hampton, Virginia, said "this is not a banana republic. We need to fix the election."
Those who addressed the crowd included Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser who lied about his Russian contacts and was recently pardoned by the president.
- 'Stolen' election -
Dozens of court cases alleging fraud or contesting the result have been decided -- virtually all in Biden's favor, with some judges offering stinging criticism of the lack of evidence.
But that was not enough for 47-year-old Darlene Denton, who wore a "Trump 2024" badge on her sweatshirt.
"Nobody wants to hear evidence, nobody wants to hear cases, everything just gets thrown out," said Denton, who had come from Tennessee to support a president she said had given "a voice to the people."
Trump, in stark defiance of the clear result and of US tradition, has refused to concede to Biden.
"Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal," he tweeted early Saturday. "Didn't know about this, but I'll be seeing them!"
Not long afterward, his helicopter lifted off from the White House grounds and passed over the crowd -- many singing the US national anthem -- as Trump headed to New York to attend the annual Army-Navy football game.
Among the protesters, members of the far-right militia group the Proud Boys were clearly visible -- in their signature black-and-yellow outfits, some wearing bulletproof vests -- and they often drew cheers from others in the crowd.
Some blocks away, supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement held their own, much smaller, rally, chanting "Nazis out!"
© 2020 AFP
Issued on: 13/12/2020 -
Washington (AFP)
Thousands of red-hatted protesters filled Washington streets Saturday to support Donald Trump's baseless claims of election fraud, undeterred by the US Supreme Court's rejection of what may have been his last chance to overturn the results.
Thousands gathered around Freedom Plaza, a few blocks from the White House, in a festive atmosphere earlier in the day, while scuffles broke out later between protesters and counter-demonstrators.
Police, some in riot gear, used their bodies and bicycles to keep the groups apart. There was also at least one clash between police and counter-protesters.
Six people were arrested, following five arrests Friday night related to a brawl, local media reported.
Some pro-Trump demonstrators showed up in tactical gear, chanting "USA" and "four more years" for the outgoing president.
It was a sizable crowd, but noticeably smaller than a similar rally a month ago when 10,000 people converged near the White House to support Trump.
"We're not gonna give up," said Luke Wilson, a sixty-something protester who had come all the way from the western state of Idaho.
"I believe there is a big injustice being done to the American people," added Dell Quick, a regular at Trump's political rallies. He brandished a flag defending gun rights.
Protesters offered no shortage of explanations for the results of the November 3 election won by Democrat Joe Biden, even though it has been affirmed by state election officials -- several of them Republican -- and by judges in several key states.
Every state has now certified Biden's victory, giving the Democrat 306 votes in the Electoral College to Trump's 232, with 270 required for election. Electors are to formally cast their votes Monday.
But protesters insisted, as Trump has repeatedly done, that there was widespread fraud in the election.
Some pointed to "foreign interference," others to software that allegedly erased millions of votes for the president -- but not those for other Republican candidates on the same ballots.
Quick told AFP that "there's no way possible" Biden was elected.
Susan Bowman, a 62-year-old from Hampton, Virginia, said "this is not a banana republic. We need to fix the election."
Those who addressed the crowd included Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser who lied about his Russian contacts and was recently pardoned by the president.
- 'Stolen' election -
Dozens of court cases alleging fraud or contesting the result have been decided -- virtually all in Biden's favor, with some judges offering stinging criticism of the lack of evidence.
But that was not enough for 47-year-old Darlene Denton, who wore a "Trump 2024" badge on her sweatshirt.
"Nobody wants to hear evidence, nobody wants to hear cases, everything just gets thrown out," said Denton, who had come from Tennessee to support a president she said had given "a voice to the people."
Trump, in stark defiance of the clear result and of US tradition, has refused to concede to Biden.
"Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal," he tweeted early Saturday. "Didn't know about this, but I'll be seeing them!"
Not long afterward, his helicopter lifted off from the White House grounds and passed over the crowd -- many singing the US national anthem -- as Trump headed to New York to attend the annual Army-Navy football game.
Among the protesters, members of the far-right militia group the Proud Boys were clearly visible -- in their signature black-and-yellow outfits, some wearing bulletproof vests -- and they often drew cheers from others in the crowd.
Some blocks away, supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement held their own, much smaller, rally, chanting "Nazis out!"
© 2020 AFP
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn addresses a pro-Trump rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Supporters of President Donald Trump marched Saturday in Washington, D.C., challenging the election results that gave President-elect Joe Biden the win.
The protesters gathered in Freedom Plaza in the morning as part of the "March for Trump," Organizers expected the crowd to grow to up to 15,000 people, according to a permit from Women for America First, a conservative group, which also organized Saturday's along with last month's "Stop the Steal" rally, USA Today reported.
The Washington Post reported that few demonstrators wore masks and as of midday there were few counterprotesters. The newspaper said hundreds of the Proud Boys -- a group linked to white nationalism -- and six men in the Three Percenters militia were among the crowd.
The protesters marched from Freedom Plaza to the Supreme Court, where former national security advisor Michael Flynn spoke to the crowd. Trump granted Flynn a pardon last month after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.
RELATED More than 100 House Republicans back Texas election challenge
The march comes one day after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Texas' effort to overturn election results in four battleground states.
Flynn expressed hope of fighting the election results.
"Don't get bent out of shape," Flynn told the crowd of protesters gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court. "There are still avenues -- We're fighting with faith and we're fighting with courage."
Trump offered his support to the march participants.
"Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington D.C. for Stop the Steal," he tweeted Saturday morning. "Didn't know about this, but I'll be seeing them!"
The Electoral College is set to make Biden's 306-232 delegate win official Monday, but Trump and his allies have repeated allegations of voter fraud. U.S. elections and security officials, as well as Attorney General William Barr, have said there's been no evidence of widespread fraud.
Among the rally speakers were former Trump aide Sebastian Gorka as well as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, both of whom traveled to the capital from COVID-19 hotspots. South Dakota, which has the second-highest rate of COVID-19 infections in the country with 10,136 cases per 100,000, and Minnesota -- Lindell's home -- had on average 85.5 daily cases per 100,000 reported in the past seven days, according to the CDC.
Pro-Trump election protests descend into violent clashes
Tensions between pro-Trump demonstrators and counter protesters descended into violence, with reports of at least 4 people being stabbed.
Saturday's rallies drew a large number of "Proud Boys" who faced off with counterprotesters
A rally of pro-Trump demonstrators descended into violence in the late hours of Saturday, as members the Proud Boys group clashed with Antifa counter protesters.
Protesters marched in support of outgoing President Donald Trump's baseless claims that the election was rigged, and that Democrat Joe Biden wrongfully won the election.
Stop The Steal
The rallies, where few people wore masks, were organized by Stop The Steal, linked to Roger Stone, an ally of the outgoing president.
Trump celebrated the protest on Twitter, saying: "Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal. Didn’t know about this, but I’ll be seeing them!"
During the early hours, the president's motorcade drove by the protesters. The Marine One helicopter carrying Trump to the Army-Navy football game passed over a rally at the National Mall in the afternoon, and was met with cheers from the crowds.
Organizers and church groups urged supporters to participate in "Jericho marches" and prayer meetings. Protests were also planned in states where Trump's campaign has challenged the election outcome, such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona.
All of Trump's campaign claims of election fraud have been rejected by state and federal courts. The Electoral College is scheduled to meet on Monday, to formally elect Biden as the president.
"My charge to you is to go back to where you are from and make demands. The US Constitution is "not about collective liberty it is about individual liberties, and they designed it that way," Mike Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser told the crowds.
Tense atmosphere after rallies
Saturday's rallies drew a large number of "Proud Boys," a neo-fascist group. As the rallies ended, there were some tensions in downtown Washington among Proud Boys and Antifa activists. There was heavy police presence, with some in riot gear.
Around 200 Proud Boys gathered after the rallies, dressed in the group's colors of black and yellow, with ballistic vests and helmets.
The two groups shouted insults at each other from across the streets, and some set off fireworks, but were kept apart by the authorities, Reuters reported. Police pepper sprayed at least two counter protesters, soon after which Proud Boys left the area.
Around 8 pm, violence broke out between the Proud Boys and counter protesters. The brawl ensued for several minutes before police arrived. An officer told The Washington Post that a man in his 20s had been stabbed, and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Fox 5 DC tweeted that at least 23 arrests had been made related to the protests, citing the DC Mayor's office.
Trump is yet to concede defeat in the elections. President-elect Biden will be sworn in on January 20 next year.
tg/aw (AP, Reuters)
