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December 14, 2020

Trump Rally in D.C. Turns Violent as Four People Stabbed, Protesters Attack Black Churches
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In Washington, D.C., at least four people were stabbed Saturday as
thousands of maskless Trump supporters rallied on the National Mall
demanding the reversal of Joe Biden's election victory. Police cordoned
off parts of downtown Washington and used pepper spray and batons on
counterprotesters who rallied in opposition to the Trump supporters. At
least 33 people were arrested.

The stabbings occurred just minutes after members of the far-right Proud
Boys organization tore a "Black Lives Matter" banner from one of the
oldest African American churches in Washington and burned it in the
street. Another historically Black church was similarly vandalized. In
an October debate with Joe Biden, President Trump name-checked the Proud
Boys and told them to "stand back and stand by."

Black Lives Matter DC organizer Anthony Lorenzo Green addressed
Saturday's violence at a press conference.

Anthony Lorenzo Green: "Our mayor and our police department allowed
white supremacists to tear down and destroy property from a Black
church, burn it on the ground, stand back and watch it as it happened.
D.C. Police does not keep us safe. Muriel Bowser does not keep us safe."

Meanwhile, in Washington state, police arrested a far-right Trump
supporter Saturday after he allegedly shot an anti-fascist
counterprotester at competing demonstrations in the state capital,
Olympia.


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