5 KKK members arrested during violent Anaheim brawl acted in self-defense, police say

A member of the Ku Klux Klan, resting after a violent clash in Anaheim, California

(Image credit: Reuters/YouTube)

last updated 29 February 2016

On Saturday, 13 people — including five members of the Ku Klux Klan — were arrested in Anaheim, California, after a fight broke out between Klansmen arriving for an anti-immigration rally and a group of counter-protesters. In the melee, KKK members allegedly stabbed three counter-protesters with knives and the end of a flagpole, resulting in critical injuries. On Sunday, Anaheim police said they had released the five Klansmen but kept the seven counter-protesters in custody. "Regardless of an individual or groups' beliefs or ideologies, they are entitled to live without the fear of physical violence and have the right, under the law, to defend themselves when attacked," the police said in a statement.

The KKK members, apparently affiliated with the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, arrived in a black SUV carrying "White Lives Matter" signs, but the SUV sped off after counter-protesters swarmed the vehicle. The handful of Klan members left behind were attacked by 10 or 20 people who had "the intent of perpetrating violence," the police said. Prosecutors could still decide to file criminal charges against the Klansmen. You can watch a video of the scuffle, or Reuters' report on the fight below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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