Stabbing in clash in US, 10 people injured

Ten people were injured yesterday after a violent incident between neo-Nazis and protesters in Sacramento, the capital of California.

A stabbing victim is helped at the scene. Photo: AP

The violence occurred near the California State Capitol. Nine men and one woman, ranging in age from 19 to 58, were injured, all with stab wounds and lacerations, the Sacramento Fire Department said on Twitter. Two of them suffered serious stab wounds, CNN quoted Chris Harvey, a department spokesman, as saying.

The Traditionalist Workers Party (TWP), described by its leaders as a “white nationalist group”, was given permission to march at noon near the state government building. Another group of about 300 or so showed up “to stop them from exercising their permission”, a police officer said.

At 11:45 a.m., anti-fascist protesters rushed into the marchers and a scuffle broke out immediately. One person was stabbed within minutes, and other stabbings followed shortly after. Officials did not say which group the stabbing victim belonged to.

"They attacked each other without hesitation," said protester Chandra Zafra, 50, a member of the Mexica Movement. "It was a war zone."

Yvette Felarca, a member of the group "By Any Means Necessary," said she went to the protest to let people know that racist, anti-immigrant views are not tolerated.

Matthew Heimbach, the leader of TWP, was not present at the march, but said group members were carrying knives and that the blades complied with California law. He said the group had received threats on social media. Another affiliate group, the Golden State Skinheads, also attended the march.

Responding to RT, Mr. Heimbach denied the accusations of the first group inciting violence, saying it was "ridiculous" and that the group was outnumbered "eight to one." He said the protesters had "baseball bats, knives, bottles." TWP is known as a neo-Nazi group, linked to white supremacy.

According to VNE