Three people were stabbed and 13 taken into custody when violence erupted at a Ku Klux Klan rally in Anaheim, California, on Saturday, police said.
#KKK rally #Anaheim quickly turns #violent as counterprotesters beat and kick klansmen. At least two people stabbed.
The Anaheim Police Department on Friday said it was aware of a KKK "walking protest" where members typically pass out literature and hold signs with messages, "which while controversial, are protected by the First Amendment."
A counter-protest was held at the KKK rally in Pearson Park on Saturday.
Counter Protesters: Roughly 50 KKK: 0
The rally turned violent when men with Confederate flag patches arrived at the park and clashes broke out between the two sides.
Fighting racism & bearing witness--KKK rally in Anaheim, CA. @latimes
While some protesters were reportedly seen kicking a Klansman, a counter protester said he had been stabbed by a Klansman.
Victim who claims he was stabbed
Three counter-protesters were stabbed and two KKK members were stomped on, a spokesperson for the Anaheim Police Department told BuzzFeed News.
Confronting racism & bearing witness at the KKK rally in Anaheim, CA. @latimes
A Klansman who was arrested as a suspect in the stabbing told police he "stabbed him in self-defense," the LA Times reported.
A total of 13 people were held in custody; six KKK members and seven counter-protesters, police said.
Two of the Klansmen
Klan van gets SMASHED! #KKK #Anaheim
The decorative end of an American flagpole was used in one of the stabbings, according to police.
All three of the victims were in stable condition, police said.