Police in California city declare unlawful assembly amid ‘white lives matter’ protest

Police in Huntington Beach, Calif., declared an unlawful assembly at a so-called white lives matter protest in the California city on Sunday.

Law enforcement declared the unlawful assembly shortly before 3 p.m. “in order to disperse an unruly crowd,” the Huntington Beach Police Department confirmed in a statement on Sunday asking residents to vacate the area around the demonstration.

White supremacist groups planned rallies in cities nationwide this weekend. The protests were scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. and were planned on Facebook and on the messenger app Telegram. 

More than 200 demonstrators, including some counterprotesters with the Black Lives Matter movement, assembled at the California city’s pier as early as 11 a.m. on Sunday, according to multiple reports.

Demonstrations grew tense after approximately 1 p.m., with several of the white lives matter protesters carrying American flags and signs supporting former President Trump. There were several confrontations between groups of protesters during the demonstration. 

One man approached the plaza in front of the city’s pier and began chanting, “White lives matter” and yelling at a protester who was holding a sign that read, “Death to the Klan,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

A crowd converged around the two and began chanting, “Nazis go home.”

The Huntington Beach Police Department Confirmed to The Hill that officials arrested 11 people amid the demonstration. 

One person allegedly obstructed police and had a metal baton, two cans of pepper spray and a knife in his backpack, according to the Times. 

A woman was also detained after she was allegedly found with pepper spray, which is banned at public assemblies in the state.

White supremacist groups planned demonstrations this weekend in cities such as New York City; Fort Worth, Texas; and Chicago.

However, many of the demonstrations drew few protesters, NBC News reported. In New York City, counterprotesters were unopposed on the street across from Trump Tower, where a white lives matter rally was planned. 

In Albuquerque, N.M., police formed a circle around just one protester while a large group of counterprotesters gathered, according to the outlet.

Updated at 12:05 a.m.