Grand Jury indicts 11 in Pacific Beach attacks on ‘Patriot March’

SAN DIEGO — A grand jury has indicted 11 folks for allegedly attacking demonstrators throughout a march held in Pacific Beach final year by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office introduced Tuesday.

Prosecutors say 29 felony counts have been filed towards the defendants, together with conspiracy to commit a riot, use of tear fuel and assault with a lethal weapon, stemming from the Jan. 9, 2021, conflict at a “Patriot March,” which was finally declared an illegal meeting by San Diego police.

Ten of the 11 defendants pleaded not responsible to the fees on Tuesday, whereas one other defendant is ready to be arraigned later this month.

According to the indictment, the defendants responded to social media posts calling for “counterprotesting” about one week previous to Jan. 9, then confirmed up in Pacific Beach “dressed in black clothing, and armed with weapons and protective gear.”

Police and prosecutors allege that two counter-protest teams from San Diego and Los Angeles gathered on the occasion and attacked folks perceived to be members of the “Patriot March” group. Some particular acts of which the defendants are accused embrace throwing a picket garden chair at a lady and hanging her, hitting somebody with a baseball bat, hitting somebody with a flagpole, and attacking folks with tear fuel and a stun gun..

The indictment alleges that the defendants “are all affiliated with Antifa” and used “force, fear, and violence to further their interests and suppress the interests of others.” It continues, The goal of this conspiracy was to incite and take part in a riot.

Though video footage that proliferated on social media across the time of the riot captured violence additionally dedicated by members of the pro-Trump crowd, the District Attorney’s Office stated in an announcement issued final year that “video evidence analysis shows that overwhelmingly the violence in this incident was perpetrated by the Antifa affiliates and was not a mutual fray with both sides crossing out of lawful First Amendment expression into riot and violence.”

The indictment was returned following 13 days of testimony heard by the grand jury, in accordance with the District Attorney’s Office.

Criminal fees towards the defendants had been initially introduced final December by prosecutors.

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