13 arrested in pro and anti-Trump rallies

The clash occurred at noon when the supporters of the President were carrying out a rally to celebrate their “Patriot Day” when anti-protesters, dressed in black and having their faces covered with masks, barged in and caused the fight.

The rally followed a similar confrontation in March that left several people injured and led to arrests.

In what has become an eerily familiar scene in Berkeley, supporters and detractors of President Donald Trump on Saturday exchanged blows, burned flags, set off fireworks, and were arrested at heated opposing rallies. “Part of what he is doing to our country is what you see right here, he is polarizing it”, Berkeley resident and counter-demonstrator Mike Berkowitz said. The Berkeley rally was sponsored by pro-Trump group Liberty Revival Alliance.

The anarchists are professional rioters while the Trump supporters are ordinary Americans.

But Rhodes credited Berkeley police for new tactics that kept the two sides apart and “our side chilled and relaxed”.

There were reported injuries among people in the crowd, but police did not confirm any of the report.

Protesters in Raleigh, North Carolina, said they suspect that Trump’s returns might show he has paid little or nothing to the government he now heads, or that he was indebted to Russian, Chinese or other foreign interests.

They also advised, “Don’t get baited by provocateurs”. Police said that protesters are now on city streets.

They said, “This is especially the case when groups do not use permits – a tool that indicates focus, organization and lawfulness. It’s a tool that no one has sought for Saturday”. Police initially announced that there had been 15 arrests, but later tweeted out a correction. “The overwhelming majority come with a peaceful goal”.

The moment a man identified as Nathan Damigo punches an unidentified woman at a protest in Berkeley, Calif. on April 15, 2017.

At least 13 people were arrested as police struggled to keeep the two camps separate.

“Our mission for Saturday is to safeguard our community while facilitating the expression of the First Amendment”.

CNN has picked up the story, noting that the violent clash in Berkeley is just one of many demonstrations happening around the country for Tax Day, with some of these focused on pushing for President Trump to release his tax returns.