DC Cops meet Proud Boys' violent rampage with polite request to 'please stop'

A Black policewoman was injured and at least four people stabbed when a day of demonstrations in support of President Donald Trump's election delusions ended in violence Saturday night in Washington D.C. Many have linked the violence to the white nationalist group the Proud Boys who Trump told to "stand back and stand by" during the presidential debate Sept. 29, 2020. Apparently, no longer standing by, they are shown in multiple videos attacking counterprotesters, burning a Black Lives Matter banner, and generally ignoring police orders with much-delayed punishment from authorities. In a video the New York Post obtained, white men in "America Strong" hats and wearing painted gold laurel wreaths associated with the Proud Boys attacked a man in all black, telling him to leave and shoving him when he tried.

"Get out! Get the f--- outta here!" they shouted outside of Harry's Bar, a gathering spot for the Proud Boys The Washington Post reported. When shoved, the man took out a knife to protect himself and tried to run away, the New York Post reported. "Get his ass!" someone in the crowd shouted. Police response as the targetted man vanished into the crowd was: "Stop guys stop — please stop."

"Today I saw proud boys attack legal observers, call people cockroaches, and mace and assault random people. They can call themselves whatever they want, but they're the new KKK. They're domestic terrorists," Black Lives Matter protester Joshua Potash tweeted early Sunday. He also compared police reaction to the violence with their response to Black Lives Matter protesters and journalists in the wake of George Floyd's death. Floyd, a Black man, was killed when a white Minneapolis cop kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes on May 25. At least eight people were partially blinded the same day police went on a rampage targeting protesters on May 30. "I've been at BLM marches all summer and fall where people are attacked and arrested by cops just for standing in the street. Tonight in DC dozens of Proud Boys maced and attacked people and cops didn't do shit," Potash said in another tweet.

Victims of the violence endured potentially life-threatening injuries D.C. fire spokesman Doug Buchanan told The Washington Post. D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham told protesters: "We're doing the best we can." He told the Post officers were deployed throughout downtown to keep Trump supporters and counterprotesters separated, but portions of the crowd seemed "intent on conflict." By 9 p.m., 23 people were arrested and one person had an unauthorized Taser, police said. In total, two police officers were hospitalized with moderate injuries and six others suffered injuries of unknown severity, the Post reported.

Bree Newsome Bass, a grassroots organizer, asked in one tweet: "Is there a point at which all the people saying "I never thought this could happen" start listening to the people who've been saying for years that this was going to happen?" Author Wajahat Ali tweeted: "I can't even imagine hundreds of armed Muslims burning flags, beating up people, stabbing people in the streets of the nation's capital without dozens of folks being shot and killed by the police. Meanwhile it's Springtime for Proud Boys and White Supremacy right now."

Journalist David Leavitt tweeted:

"The proud boys are domestic terrorists

The proud boys are domestic terrorists

The proud boys are domestic terrorists

The proud boys are domestic terrorists

The proud boys are domestic terrorists

The proud boys are domestic terrorists

The proud boys are domestic terrorists"

I concur.