SAN DIEGO — Police broke up a protest this afternoon after they say it turned violent. Pro-trump demonstrators and counter-protesters clashed at Pacific Beach, blocking off a major intersection.
San Diego Police haven’t if or how many people may have been arrested but dozens of people came to the area to express their frustrations after what happened in the nation’s capitol this week.
After protesters faced off in Pacific Beach, San Diego Police declared the demonstration unlawful about 2:30 Saturday afternoon.
Police say protesters became violent towards one another and blocked the intersection at Hornblend Street and Mission Blvd. Once more police arrived, they began to separate pro-Trump supporters from a group of Black Lives Matters and Antifa protesters.
“Some of them had bats. I’m not really sure why the police let them do so much, but it seemed to work out,” said a local man who happened to be riding by on his bike.
City Councilwoman Jennifer Campbell who represents Pacific Beach, released this statement about the protest:
"What we saw in Pacific Beach today is not the finest San Diego has to offer as once again our community became an unwilling participant in an unwanted confrontation. Violence will not be tolerated and is not welcome in our City and certainly not welcome in Pacific Beach."
San Diego activist Tasha Williamson is recovering from Coronavirus and was not at the protest but had this to say.
“I thankful for those who stood up today in Pacific Beach to say that we don’t want you. We don’t want racism is what they’re saying. We don’t want extremist and that Black lives matter.”
After talking with some community leaders, no one seems to know why Pacific Beach was chosen for this protest today but police made it clear, if you can’t protest peacefully, they won’t allow it.