White supremacist rally ends with five arrests and two assaults, police say [Updated]

 
A white supremacist rally on the lawn of Los Angeles City Hall ended with a handful of arrests Saturday afternoon as counter-protesters showered police and white supremacists with rocks, bottles and other debris.

[Updated at 4:50 p.m.: All five people arrested were counter-protesters, police say.]

A rally by 40 members of a group calling itself the National Socialist Movement drew hundreds of counter-protesters from throughout the region. In the hours leading up to the rally, where members called for the removal of all nonwhites from America's southwest, counter-protesters scuffled with people perceived to be sympathizing with the white supremacists' message.

One man, who sported Nazi tattoos, was severely beaten near City Hall while another man, who carried a confusing sign about religion with a scribbled swastika, was pummeled by a mob of people on Spring Street between 1st and 2nd.

The Los Angeles Police Department went on tactical alert during the event and took responsibility for escorting the white supremacists to and from the demonstration site. Earlier in the week the group had obtained a permit for the demonstration.

At the end of the rally, after 2:30 p.m., police escorted the white supremacists to the criminal courts building parking lot to get in their vehicles. However, one car failed to start. A crowd of counter-demonstrators ran to the lot and began hurling rocks and bottles into the parking lot's southwest corner, hitting cars and shattering glass. As some of the white supremacists held shields emblazoned with swastikas over their heads to protect them from the projectiles, others attempted to jump-start the car. 

The LAPD then order the crowd to disperse and reopened the streets.

Commander David Doan said the LAPD's goal was to ensure that everyone was allowed to exercise free speech while avoiding any use of force by officers. “There was a tremendous amount of restraint shown by our officers,” he said. “We allowed both sides to exercise their 1st Amendment rights.”

Doan said it was a frustrating situation for LAPD officers. “We took some rocks and bottles when they arrived and we took some again when the car had some trouble starting.”

The two people assaulted in the crowd have been treated for their injuries and released, Doan said. The LAPD is not providing a crowd estimate, but Doan said the department had more than enough officers on hand.

The department issued a tactical alert as a precaution, Doan said, to ensure it had adequate staffing. “I am very happy. Our people did an outstanding job,” the incident commander said.

-- Richard Winton and Robert Faturechi

Photo: White supremacists rally on the lawn of Los Angeles City Hall. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[C PERKINS]

ARE YOU SURPRISED??? THE ONLY SURPRISING THING IS THAT
THIS HASN'T HAPPENED A LOT SOONER. GOVERNMENTS HAVE
NO CONSCIENCE, WHETHER IT BE IN THE US OR IN EUROPE;
ILLEGALS HAVE BEEN FLOODING INTO EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
FOR DECADES AGAINST THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. THE BUSHES
THE OBAMAS THE PELOSIS AND ALL THE OTHER DEGENERATES
IN EUROPE, ALLOWING , ENCOURAGING MULTI CULTURALISM
CHANGING THE FACE OF EUROPE AND OF THE UNITED STATES
FOREVER. UNCONSCIONABLE !!!

[Antranick]

I noticed that the article failed to mention the ethnicity's of those arrested as well as the counter-protesters. How convenient. Reverse the roles of the rally and see if the police would have treated the counter-protesters the same. We all know the answer.

[James Woods]

Well it's good to see how freedom of speech works in this country.

The idiots in Washington claim racial slurs and violence without any proof of it.

The blacks can have million man marches without assaults.

But when whites try the same thing they're assulted, with proof of course.

When the white man becomes the minority in the country I wonder if they too will qualify as a 'minority'. I think not.

[sam]

they should protest at the white house, better target there....

[here's the problem]

Here's the problem with this '1st amendment right' these NSM members have the same M.O., they always yell racial epithets. If I'm not mistaken, some were from Michigan!

They always hold these rallies in minority communities, why not Seal Beach, Carlsbad....this tends to make me believe they intentionally want to cause problems.

Now, can a minority group go and get permits for these same type rallies at Beverly Hills, Newport Beach city halls? I think not! I mean really, most of these cities refuse to rent to minorities, in addition, if a minority is in one of these cities that look like they don't belong, trust me, the police will pull them over and first ask them if they are on probation or parole, before letting deciding what action to take! Either letting them go home or telling them they are not welcome at that city/don't belong!

Back to the 1st Amendment, can a person say these type things to their boss without getting fired? Can a minority even say these type things to a police officer without getting beat up? Okay, I know I'm stretching it, but, there needs to be a line drawn!

As far a the guy with the Nazi tattoos, that's L.A. for you! If you are in L.A., you must know the boundaries for colors of clothing, tattoos, style of clothing - and certainly not try to taunt people, especially at this type of event!

The biggest problem I have with this entire rally, how much money was spent for this type of event? They canceled a St Patrick's Day Parade citing lack of resources, workers are being laid off, yet, monies is spent for a group of alleged racists to come in to upset a community that is already dealing with problems! How about applying the 1st and 14th Amendments to these minority groups by denying this type of 1st Amendment group to come and use hate speech? Personally, I think the 14th Amendment should void out this type of 1st Amendment right to these type of rallies!!!!

[Sydney Lawyer]

We have seen a similar pattern in Australia of the rise of neo-nazi groups and associated counter protest movements. Liberal advocates always posit the value of tolerance of others and their points of view. However, it is a paradoxical conundrum that in the interests of tolerance we sometimes show intolerance for others.

[ynot4tony2]

It's funny how the mainstream media is looking for bigots in the Tea Party movement...yet here we see unashamed bigotry, and it's coming from a socialist organization (which is about the furthest thing from being conservative as possible).

Just like how the liberal pundits and Democrat politicians keep hinting at the violence brewing in the Tea Party, yet we have only seen violence committed AGAINST members of the Tea Party (the most prominent offender is an Obama supporting labor union).

[ron]

So the throwing of cans and bottles is considered a 1st Ammendment right, as long as it's used on white supremacists? Like it or not, they have the right to protest and voice their opinion- more so than ILlegal aliens when they protest (and don't get assaulted.) Clinton and Pelosi can keep agitating, but so far, it continues to be the "tolerance" crowd which breaks legs, bites off fingers and throws small bombs at recruiting stations.

[Dave M. (now in S. Korea)]

I suspect these are probably leftist, Tea Party crashers. In fact, isn't that Jason Levin there on the far left side of the picture?

[Dennis D]

These misguided right wing wackos are confused youth who have been brainwashed same as the misguided left wing youth who worship Obama.

[cms]

40 people show up for a rally, two people are beaten and the police had rocks and bottles thrown at them.

"The department issued a tactical alert as a precaution, Doan said, to ensure it had adequate staffing. “I am very happy. Our people did an outstanding job,” the incident commander said.

They could not handle a crowd of less than say 70 people, and that is an outstanding job?! What are they going to do if there is a real protest one day, will people die? Give me a break.

[tfb]

Hmm well this is interesting. The Lame Stream State Media needs to start the campaign towards Obama's amnesty for voting rights, which will give him 40 million new votes to assure his dictatorship. Little do these Mexicans realize that Obama/Pelosi plan to use them as their new slave class, and little do American blacks numbering at 13 million realize they will be replaced as the new entitlement class...but anyway...
Neonazis, all 40 of them...wow pretty big pump up story for this but it gives good bang for the press buck.
Obama needs to simultaneously vilify the Tea Party whilst generating sympathy for amnestyvoters. Never mind double digit unemployment...it's critical, the timing is an imperative, otherwise Demokkkrats will be defeated across the board come November.
So watch Obama stage a faked Waco or some incident to demonize the Tea Party and generate sympathy for Mexican amnesty voting, in one fell swoop. Watch for it, the press is gearing you up for it even now.
Protest marches led by La Raza, Mexican riots, and a sympathetic Obama/Pelosi will be behind the push for Obama's dictatorship voters and a new Mexislave class for Demokkkrats to profit off of.

[D.B. Cooper]

I would like to know the races of the counter-protesters. Are they white liberals, members or La Raza, MECHA, or the NAACP? Minorities can have their groups, let the whites have theirs.
Regardless, it wasn't the white supremist group that was violent, was it? By behaving violently, you justify their existance.
As long as Illegal Immigration, Affirmative Action, the existance of minority lobbying groups, and an extremely high minority on white crime rate, there will always be a "need" for a hate group.
I personally wouldn't support this group, but I'll fight for its continued existance as long as La Raza, MECHA, MALDEF, Black Panthers, and the NAACP are also allowed to exist.

[burningtree]

These Neo-Nazis are the most despicable of the despicable. However, no less despicable are those who stoned them and beat them up. The First Amendment to the Constitution gives them the same right of peaceable assembly and speech as it gives their opponents. And for a hate group composed of fanatical racists to be violently attaced by a hateful mob of fanatical leftists just shows you where our country is going. And it isn't good. Where is the blame here? I lay it right on the shoulders of Barack Obama, the Great Divider, who has intentionally tapped the collective frustrations of those on the left and the right to make us fight each other in the streets. Then he can come in as Dear Leader to achieve his next goal: a national citizen army. And before any posters reply that I am some nutcase conspiracy theorist, view his campaign speech at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt2yGzHfy7s

[burningtree]

These Neo-Nazis are the most despicable of the despicable. However, no less despicable are those who stoned them and beat them up. The First Amendment to the Constitution gives them the same right of peaceable assembly and speech as it gives their opponents. And for a hate group composed of fanatical racists to be violently attaced by a hateful mob of fanatical leftists just shows you where our country is going. And it isn't good. Where is the blame here? I lay it right on the shoulders of Barack Obama, the Great Divider, who has intentionally tapped the collective frustrations of those on the left and the right to make us fight each other in the streets. Then he can come in as Dear Leader to achieve his next goal: a national citizen army. And before any posters reply that I am some nutcase conspiracy theorist, view his campaign speech at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt2yGzHfy7s

[e_pluribus_unum]

There's no law against being ignorant. But there ARE laws against assaulting people who have the proper permits for their assembly(See: Constitution, Bill of Rights, First Amendment).
Headline writers must take care to get it right. The only group mentioned in the headline was the "White Supremacists". It was not this neo-Nazi group who committed assault as one would assume without reading the story, it was those peace-loving counter-protesters.
The counter-protesters succeeded in giving their opponents a lot of press they wouldn't have gotten had they not started throwing bottles and rocks. It would have been a group of 40 people talking to themselves and there would have been nothing for reporters to report.
By the way, illegal immigrants are called "illegal" because crossing the border without the proper papers and documents is against the law. So just who was it that was promoting something illegal???

[amerikaisdead]

What is funny about them is they are usually anti-government types yet call themselves National Socialists.. guess they don't understand the meaning of Socialist.
Blacks have black history month and parades, hispanics have hispanic heritage month and Cinco de Mayo and parades, gays have gay and lesbian pride month and parades, etc. If you don't like white pride marches, ALL X pride marches and ethno-centric holidays and celebrations need to be eliminated.

[Earl Lee Riser]

The only thing worse than the neo-Nazis are crimigrants and crimigrant sympathizers.
Oh yeah, and the colored boy with the beret on at 2:20
What an ignorant, faux tough loser.

http://www.ktla.com/videobeta/7a9dcf11-308c-43fd-995e-2ade6bf37938/News/KTLA-Nazi-Group-and-Opponents-Clash-Violently-at-City-Hall-Rebecca-Hall-reports

[smokeranch]

Remember one thing about the Nazi; they were socialists, not conservatives. Stalin, Mao, Hitler; socialist, not conservatives. Conservatives; we don't riot, we don't destroy other peoples property and like socialists in the past, we don't assassinate those we do not agree with. To try to connect Nazis to the Tea Party or Republicans is a lie. So all you socialist liberal types remember your roots are a bunch of murdering thugs like the Nazis and KKK. Go look it up, it is a fact.
.

[Me]

Sounds like hate has no side.

[mark]

Looks like a bunch of hate filled racists on both sides. Isn't that sweet? Looks like they're all made for each other.

[Preston]

Just for the record, the political platform of this so-called 'right-wing' group includes the following:

"The abolition of all incomes unearned by work - the breaking of interest slavery."

"In view of the enormous personal sacrifices of life and property demanded of a nation by any war, personal enrichment from war must be regarded as a crime against the nation. We therefore demand the ruthless confiscation of all war profits."

"We demand the nationalization of all businesses which have been formed into corporations (trusts)."

"The passing of a law instituting profit-sharing in large industrial enterprises."

"The creation of a livable wage."

"We demand an end to the status quo in which people die or rot away from lack of proper treatment due to the failure of their medical coverage, Health Maintenance Organization, or insurance policy."

And here's my personal favorite:

"The secondary land reform will be to ensure the environmental integrity of the nation is preserved; By setting aside land for national wildlife refuges; By cleaning the urban, agricultural, and hydrographical (water) areas of the nation; By creating legislation regulating the amount of pollution, carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, and toxins released into the atmosphere; And for the continued research and development of clean burning fuels and energy sources."

To view the original, visit their website at http://nsm88.org/25points/25pointsengl.html

[Kate]

The neos have a legitimate argument...Crime increases and living standards decrease in every community that has a build up of minorities. There's just no exceptions to the case. US Cities that were once desirable and beautiful have been trashed by immigrants in just a generations time. It's unfortunate, but we're witnessing it happening throughout the world.

[ByteRider]

So, basically, Obama supporters were protesting and conservative/republicans got violent on them.

[Icewater]

John, I think you hit on a good point. The exercising of free speech is considered evil and hate mongering unless you are in agreement with the press.
Any time the black panthers rally there are always follow up and accompanying stories of the horrible affects of slavery, etc.. even though the modern black population has NO idea what slavery is or was like, except from movies and left leaning text books.