A black woman in California said a group of nearly 40 pro-Trump protesters attacked her and called her a bad word after a rally in downtown Los Angeles.
Police said they are investigating the incident as a hate crime after speaking to the woman.
“The woman was identified and interviewed by the LAPD. Based on her statements and other evidence, a hate crime / battery report was made,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. declaration on twitter.
The woman, Berlinda, 25, said she was walking when she saw the large group on Wednesday, according to NBC Los Angeles, who noted that she asked that her surname not be revealed. Earlier in the day, a protest was held, with many protesters carrying “Stop the theft” signs.
Berlinda said several people in the group had told him to take off the face mask. She told NBC Los Angeles that the crowd started following her after she showed them.
“A group of women and men started shouting, ‘Take off your mask, don’t wear a mask,'” she said, telling the outlet that she asked a man in the group to leave her alone. “And that was when the guy went and took his hand, scratched me in the face. And then he hit my phone in my face.”
Berlinda said that others pushed her and she was called racial slander.
The attack was captured by photographer Raquel Natalicchio, 29. She told NBC News in an interview on Friday that she saw Berlinda walking alone and heard the protesters pestering her and asking if she voted for President Donald Trump. It is not clear whether all the people shown in Natalicchio’s photos were involved in the alleged attack.
Berlinda said no to them and showed them his finger as he continued walking, Natalicchio said.
“They continued to harass her for it, and she told them to put on a mask,” said Natalicchio, noting that many people who attended the rally were not wearing a mask. “As soon as she told them to put on a mask, they surrounded her and surrounded her and started pushing her between them, and trying to intimidate her.”
Natalicchio said a woman plucked Berlinda’s hair extensions “and started beating her”. Berlinda tried to defend herself and several men started hitting her with metal masts, according to Natalicchio. The woman was also considered sprayed with pepper in her eyes.
A man came to help. He was captured in an image grabbing Berlinda from behind to pull her to safety.
“This guy, I call him my hero,” Berlinda told NBC Los Angeles. “That guy caught me and was whispering in my ear, saying, ‘Go on. You’re fine. I got you, I got your phone. You’re fine, I’m going to get you out of here. These people are trying to kill you.'”
Berlinda refused to be interviewed when contacted by NBC News on Friday, citing security concerns.
The LAPD said it is conducting an investigation into the incident and asked that anyone who witnessed what happened or may have information to present themselves.
The Los Angeles rally was held on the same day that a pro-Trump crowd stormed the U.S. Capitol building, temporarily interrupting the legislature’s official count of Electoral College votes to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Five people died during the chaos, including a woman shot to death by the police and a Capitol police officer who died from her injuries.
