Trump, Biden fans clash at California Capitol rally after presidential election call
Tensions flared as supporters of both the current president and the presumptive winner of Tuesday’s election rallied at the California state Capitol on Saturday afternoon in a show of support for their preferred candidate.
Freedom Angels 2.0, a conservative group of President Donald Trump supporters who also oppose vaccinations, scheduled a rally in front of the Capitol dubbed “Recount California” in response to mounting projections that former Vice President Joe Biden would be declared the winner of the presidential race.
Organizers of the event urged supporters of Trump to request a recount of California’s ballots, despite preliminary tallies that favored Biden nearly 2-to-1 in the Golden State. Trump has been vocal over the past few days in demanding recounts in several key battleground states, but not California, and has declared himself the winner of the election, despite contrary reports.
The mood at the Capitol was initially jovial, with demonstrators decked in Trump gear waving American flags in the street. One man, sporting a red “Make America Great Again” cap, led a crowd in chants of “count every legal vote.”
Many Biden supporters also appeared at the Capitol, dancing and shouting to music, while others drove through the area with large Biden campaign signs on display.
At one point, the rally was disturbed by a fight that broke out between members of the opposing sides. A Sacramento Bee photographer at the rally witnessed a man and a woman engaged in a fistfight, while another person stood by and attempted to pepper-spray the man.
After the two broke free from each other, a woman holding a Trump flag charged the woman who had been fighting, knocking her to the ground. The man who had been fighting with her before took the opportunity to kick her while she was down before others pulled the combatants apart and police stepped in.
The woman was later seen with a bloody nose, talking with Sacramento police officers alongside a few demonstrators with Biden gear.
As the afternoon wore on and more people crowded into the downtown area, police presence increased and clusters of officers in riot gear were seen monitoring the intensifying situation from street corners around the Capitol.
Near 10th and L streets, the two sides continued to confront one another, while police attempted to form a barrier between the crowds. By 5:00 p.m., the demonstrators and counter-protesters numbered around 500 in total. A Bee photographer also observed several more scuffles break out in the area.
This story was originally published November 7, 2020 at 3:18 PM.
