The media keeps explaining the violence taking place at rallies across the country as a “clash” between Trump opponents and Trump supporters. And they’ve only barely started talking about all those white supremacists who showed up.
But the worst offender was the president himself, whose response to the horrific events in Charlottesville, Va. was to say there were issues on “many sides, many sides.” This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this. In an April article blandly titled “Trump Supporters, Opponents Clash In Berkeley,” Newsweek observed:
A melee erupted on Saturday in a Berkeley, California park where supporters and opponents of President Donald Trump were holding competing rallies, resulting in at least 20 arrests as police struggled to keep the two camps apart.
Tax Day rallies were held across the country on Saturday to demand that the GOP’s president Donald Trump release his tax returns. But in Berkeley, things got ugly. And as many astute Twitizens noted, many of these people were clearly “Alt-Right” neo-Nazis spoiling for a fight.
Mainstream outlets characterizing #Berkeley clashes as "Pro-Trump v anti-Trump" w/out SINGLE mention of MANY Sieg Heiling white supremacists
— Natasha Lennard (@natashalennard) April 16, 2017
ICYMI Here are what the media calls the "Trump Supporters" that were "protested" because of their "different views" in #Berkeley yesterday. pic.twitter.com/ICA7K5IXOj
— New York City Antifa (@NYCAntifa) April 16, 2017
Shane Bauer from Mother Jones caught several of these so-called “counter protesters” Sieg Heil-ing their cold, shriveled little hearts out.
Calling these "alt-right" fools Nazis isn't hyperbole when they're throwing up actual Nazi salutes in #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/3BzLKDMTGe
— Brock Chainberlink (@99Brett) April 15, 2017
Straight up nazis in Berkeley. Guy on left said he was a "national socialist. pic.twitter.com/99Q8wzpOc5
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) April 15, 2017
.@realDonaldTrump I remember when you condemned the Berkeley Milo protests. Waiting on your thoughts on actual nazis and fascists showing up pic.twitter.com/yrNOhjX2sA
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) April 16, 2017
Here’s a sign that refers to the wildly anti-Semitic “Da Goyim Know (shut it down) meme that claims Jewish people run the world and shut down conspiracy theories to keep the “truth” from getting out.”
Goyim literally means “the nations” in Hebrew, but in Yiddish it has come to mean non-Jewish people.
Anti-semitism meets anti-vaxer in Berkeley. pic.twitter.com/JbqezMnySO
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) April 15, 2017
And what do you think all those K’s stand for?
Berkeley. pic.twitter.com/avEmEnAwWP
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) April 15, 2017
“This is who Antifa attacked today in Berkeley,” this tweet proclaims, as though these are totally innocent bystanders.
But instead, they all look like they’re looking for a fight…
This is who Antifa attacked today in Berkeley pic.twitter.com/mOFgdx7zb1
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) April 16, 2017
…Especially this one.
This guy has been in full on battle mode all day at Berkeley. pic.twitter.com/XQo6mt54iH
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) April 15, 2017
Strangely, they keep knocking “Antifa” — the anti-fascist, anti-Trump movement. But if you’re anti-anti-fascism, doesn’t that make you a fascist?
If not, it at least makes you a racist. Here’s a guy mocking the Black Lives Matter movement with a poster featuring Pepe the Frog — a cartoon character the Alt-White hijacked.
Berkeley. pic.twitter.com/UGProfOOzJ
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) April 15, 2017
….and these snowflakey avatars of white fragility also want us to embrace “straight pride.”
he told me he’s out here representing pic.twitter.com/dpus4GavDR
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) April 15, 2017
During the rally, a so-called “Trump supporter” punched a woman in the face, and the video went viral.
https://twitter.com/detgrim/status/853391025141932032
The face-punching Trump supporter turns out to be Nathan Damigo, a known neo-Nazi and “Alt-Right” leader who spent five years in prison for robbing an Iraqi (at least he thought the guy was Iraqi) cab driver at gunpoint.
And sure enough, here’s Damigo at the rally, spoiling for a fight.
https://twitter.com/NathanDamigo/status/853321034249814016
This guy just went "on the record" to say "black people are inferior to whites, genetically". #PatriotsDay #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/GRXtQ9Wo8y
— Kenzie Borland (@kenziealizabeth) April 15, 2017
Despite the fact that news reports still haven’t named the woman who got punched, these angry white supremacists have somehow “found” her Facebook page, where she allegedly said she was heading to Berkeley and planned to “bring back 100 nazi scalps.”
They’re so contemptuous of her, they don’t even see her as a person. And when you stop seeing people as people, it’s a slippery slope.
Suddenly every leftist wants to assume this thing is a woman when it gets punched in the face. You came for a fight #Berkley pic.twitter.com/jKAYjTQKhc
— cσηsεяvαтιvε✞cαנυη (@Cajun_Conserv) April 17, 2017
Contrary to the mainstream media’s narrative, this wasn’t a “clash” between protesters and counter protesters. This was an full-on assault by Trump supporters against the resistance.
Today on Berkeley campus Trump supporters assaulted the resistance. pic.twitter.com/0aGAv9nIFO
— Rogelio Garcia Lawyer (@LawyerRogelio) April 16, 2017
They knew it and even gloated over their victory…
The far right, jubilant after their victory today in Berkeley. pic.twitter.com/spWNEQ6D5b
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) April 15, 2017
…and went out for drinks, courtesy of Mike Cernovich, the “Alt-Right” social media personality and conspiracy theorist. How nice of him.
It was really nice of @Cernovich to offer to pay for all of our drinks tonight to celebrate our win in Berkeley against ANTIFA! Thank you! pic.twitter.com/uIVuaGnAwT
— Irma Hinojosa 🇺🇸 (@irmahinojosa_) April 16, 2017
These Trump supporters are also threatening to show up in more cities to inflict similar violence, just like Adolf Hitlers Brown Shirts once did.
.@BasedStickMan_ says "Berkeley got sacked." To Seattle, Boston, and other cities: "We're coming for you." pic.twitter.com/PPyN44IBKM
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) April 15, 2017
Twitter detective: “Alt-Right” Trump supporters planned to incite violence to discredit protesters.
And here’s the thing…It’s looking more and more like this violence was planned by these Alt-White Trump supporters weeks in advance. A Twitter user named Caroline O. tracked down the first tweets about the Berkeley protest, and what she found wasn’t pretty.
https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/853341007387254786
So.. it definitely looks like the tweet on the R is providing instructions for making a weapon to get past security at Berkeley. pic.twitter.com/uVBfChPHPs
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
And they are referencing the account on the L, which was among the 1st to tweet about Berkeley early in the AM.https://t.co/maQMIhrcqG
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
Here’s the same account, telling other alt-right Trump supporters how to make themselves look like antifa protesters at Berkeley today. pic.twitter.com/VskJQNldLG
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
And here is “Based Stick Man”, trying to profit off of this type of violence. https://t.co/c8pkqeedCS pic.twitter.com/mtjqw2q5me
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
Same account, on Mar 19, called for other Trump supporters to “fight the fascists” on April 15. Events at Berkeley were planned a month ago. pic.twitter.com/RjBnlhPOE8
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
So Trump fans planned the violence at Berkeley a month ago & gave instructions to make weapons to get past security.https://t.co/QFNSsyzFEc
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
Umm.. so here is “Based Stick Man” (& his followers) talking about using lethal force & possibly needing to “put people down” at Berkeley. pic.twitter.com/fkWVvD8OS6
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
Berkeley was not a clash between anti/pro Trump groups. This was a pre-planned assault by a group of violent alt-right Trump supporters. pic.twitter.com/aBhqjE0N5e
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
A “call to arms” was issued to Trump supporters a month ahead of events @ Berkeley today. Don’t let this get pinned on anti-Trump protesters pic.twitter.com/2jtBjDxcGh
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
Here’s a tweet w/ “Based Stick Man’s” real name; another w/his photo; another w/his name & previous arrest; another w/reference to Berkeley. pic.twitter.com/tdBRdKcFpk
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
It turns out Nathan Damigo isn’t the only instigator with a rap sheet.
Court docs show Based Stick Man (Kyle Chapman) was convicted of 1) robbery & 2) grand theft, & 3) charged w/unlawful possession of a firearm pic.twitter.com/AYm6fJH36u
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
Link to court docs on one of the instigators at Berkeley today: https://t.co/Vj04RQneY9https://t.co/pqZMzOarCM
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
“Based Stick Man” pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in 2009. https://t.co/O67uXfuaag pic.twitter.com/pdh7uQPEKX
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
Seems like a felon could get in some trouble for carrying out pre-planned acts of violence. cc: @berkeleypolice. https://t.co/pqZMzOarCM
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) April 16, 2017
@RVAwonk I wonder if PayPal knows they are helping domestic terrorists fundraise? pic.twitter.com/ow2VXjGREo
— ❄MakeAmericaCreate (@MACA_Org) April 16, 2017
Scarily, this tactic of inciting violence to discredit protest movements is a tried and true method employed by repressive regimes of the 20th and 21st centuries.
https://twitter.com/KaivanShroff/status/853389498780188672
🔥RT🔥Berkeley today – was a version of this “provokatsiya”. Members of #TheResistance must understand & avoid this. https://t.co/txp7EM1Fwk
— Captain Janeway (@CaptJaneway2017) April 16, 2017
;
NOTE: This article was updated from a previous version.
Featured image: Composite with screen grabs via Twitter.
That one photo is not a KKK reference, it is quite obviously a Kek reference. Read up on your Alt Right symbology.
Thanks… I missed that one.