A protest at the California capitol in Sacramento between a white nationalist group and opponents turned violent on Sunday, leaving several people injured with serious stab wounds.
woman punched in the face violence has erupted at the Capitol more pepper spray shots fired people scattering @FOX40
Ten people were taken to hospitals with stabbing wounds or lacerations —some of them suffering serious trauma, according to the Sacramento Fire Department. They were expected to survive, the Associated Press reported.
Final from State Capitol incident: 10 patients, 9 M, 1 F, 19 to 58 age range. Multiple stab and laceration wounds.
"They were met by a large number of counter protesters, and we had quite a large fight and a number of smaller fights and melees that broke out from that," Chris Harvey of the Sacramento Fire Department told CNN.
Patients included nine men and one woman, ranging in age from 19 to 58.
The rally was initially organized by the Traditionalist Worker Party, a white nationalist group. Opponents also used social media to organize against neo-Nazi beliefs.
Dozens of anti-Nazi protestors still gathered outside the Capitol after protest turned violent.
Matthew Heimbach, chairman and founder of Traditionalist Worker Party, told BuzzFeed News the group planned to hold a peaceful event but encountered violence as soon as they arrived near the capitol.
“As soon as our men left the parking garage, 200 anti-fascists armed with bricks and bats attacked our men. Our men stood our ground, and our comrades refused to give an inch," Heimbach said.
Heimbach — who is “considered by many to be the face of a new generation of white nationalists,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center — said the “anti-fascists committed attempted murder” against members of the group.
“We knew this was coming. They were threatening to kill us for weeks. This is the beginning of a new dawn for white nationalism in America. We are no longer going to hide in conferences. We are going to take to the streets and take them back,” Heimbach added.
Three reported stabbings by the Nazis to Antifacists in #Sacramento. #NoNazisInSac
Antifascists shut down the Nazi rally today in #Sacramento. Victory has been declared. #NoNazisInSac
Video from ABC 10 shows police in tactical gear pulling people apart. Police told reporters early Sunday afternoon that no arrests had been made, and officers were focused on de-escalating the situation.
Photos from the scene showed blood on the capitol grounds.
Horrifying...Blood spatters all over the ground. Police trying to control crowds. @ABC10
One window was broken, Fox 40 reported.
Shattered window at one of the entrances of the Capitol @FOX40
Though the white nationalist rally didn't take place as planned, protesters and counter-protesters remained at the capitol on Sunday afternoon.
Can't even speculate what this altercation was about things are still very aggressive out here @FOX40
By 2:30 p.m., protesters left the capitol grounds, authorities said.
UPDATE: Protesters have cleared from CA State Capitol. Sac Fire transported an additional 2 patients, total of 7.