Bob CollinsThe thing about sectarian violence — and that’s what we must call political violence these days — is those who commit it will usually defend it in the most noble of terms.
“I guess it happens to the best of us,” Carlos Ceballos, an iron worker who traveled to San Jose to protest Donald Trump said.
It really doesn’t. But it can. And that’s the danger portrayed by last evening’s riots in San Jose as Trump protesters attacked supporters. It’s a much shorter trip to civil war and violence than many Americans want to admit. But this is step one. (Warning: Obscenities)
Watch: The moment a Trump supporter, surrounded by protesters, is egged in the face, hit by other food. pic.twitter.com/qYFdwJWvrS
— Jacob Rascon (@Jacobnbc) June 3, 2016
Behold, the American experiment!
I called 911 but no one answered. Donald trump protest in San Jose, CA pic.twitter.com/LwaWyeYZfq
— Marcus DiPaola (@marcusdipaola) June 3, 2016
“It wasn’t completely unprovoked,” Marcus Dipaola, a freelance journalist who shot that video, told the Washington Post. “The guy with the flag was waving it in front of the victim’s face. The victim kind of pushed the flag out of the way and then walked quickly away. You saw what happened next.”
Some protesters, shouting “no violence”, tried to protect Trump supporters, but they were quickly overwhelmed.
Trump supporter just got caught in the middle. Some protesters attacking, others shouting for no violence pic.twitter.com/m0dpwFKYcg
— Nicky Woolf (@NickyWoolf) June 3, 2016
“There’s a lot of people like me, but everyone will just focus on the four crazy ones. That diminishes the message,” Arnold Morales, from Redwood City, told the San Jose Mercury News.
Because you can’t start a fire without a spark.
The means necessary to prevent Trump from becoming president are not mysterious: vote for another candidate and encourages to do the same.
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) June 3, 2016
Related: Trump Could Threaten U.S. Rule of Law, Scholars Say (NY Times)
