20 people were arrested and 11 were severely injured in Berkeley, California on April 15th, 2017 due to the violent outbreak amongst anti-Trump and pro-Trump protesters.
Police dressed in riot gear and around 300 to 700 protesters gathered in Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park on Tax Day. Attendees of the "Patriots Day" Rally clashed with the Antifa (an Anti-Fascist group) counter protests which consisted of severe language and violent pushing early into the day. A makeshift barrier was formed between the two groups but did not last for long or withstand attempts at violence. Protesters knocked down trash cans and were seen igniting the trash inside them. Few people were arrested for use of a deadly weapon, leaving one man with a stab wound.
Kyle Chapman, one of those arrested during the protests, is known for using a large metal stick to attack protesters. Chapman, also known as Based Stickman or Alt-Knight, was also arrested at the "March 4 Trump" rally for bashing an Antifa protester in the head.
Between protesters, fireworks, tear gas, and pepper spray were used in the violent backlashes that is shown in videos and depict several injured people. Local police confiscated knives, stun guns, signs, and a variety of other items including contraband. The Berkeley protests were supposedly about free speech, despite the large number of protests across the country for the anti-Trump, "Tax Day". While some did view this as a protest for the celebration of free speech, others were clearly looking for an opportunity to use violence in the name of their country.
Videos also show some protesters in "Make America Great Again" gear and others in Black clothing and masks holding posters with phrases like "Fascist scum your time is done" and "anti-fascist, anti-racist".
Trump's presidency has made its mark on the American people, leaving us more divided than ever before. Hearing of violent protests no longer shocks the average American. Our own President has left us at the brink of civil war through his extremely controversial policies and statements.
We are no longer united as the American people (not that we were completely united in the past either, but now with a far larger divide) and the country will continue to struggle to come together for any single cause.
These street brawls that threaten our own livelihood leave American citizens concerned for whether or not it is safe to be stating our own opinions anymore. In the heated political climate that has enveloped American politics and society, America has lost its value for free speech and expression. Ironically, these horribly violent "protests" began at a park named after an icon of nonviolent expression.
Trump's statements about global warming or war in the Middle East, often leave people on one side of the problem or the other---there is no middle ground. The issue with this is that it leaves us at a harsh divide and requires us to fight more passionately for what we believe in. So the protests in Berkeley make us all wonder, will we have to sacrifice this passion in order to gain safety?
