Not in Our Streets: Report Back on the 12/5 Mobilization Against the Far-Right in Sacramento

Report back from recent antifascist mobilization in so-called Sacramento, California, where a coalition of anti-racist and antifascist groups converged after weeks of violent far-Right and pro-Trump rallies.

For the past five weekends, Trump supporters, Proud Boys, militia groups, and other members of the far-Right have hosted “Stop the Steal” rallies at the State Capitol in support of the popular and unfounded fraudulent election conspiracy theory. During these rallies, the far-Right have harassed and violently assaulted the people of Sacramento, including our unhoused neighbors, minors, random bystanders, community organizers distributing food, medics, reporters, and anyone they identified as opposition to their movement.

Last Saturday, December 5th, counter-protesters mobilized from Sacramento and beyond to defend our city against the far-Right. The call for this mobilization was coordinated by over 25 organizations and groups in Northern California who saw the far-Right terror of previous weekends and decided enough was enough.

 

Around 200 counter-protesters, medics, and legal observers converged at Fremont Park at 10 am and marched to the Capitol at noon. The anti-fascist mobilization marched to the barricades at 10th and L, where a sizeable police presence separated the counter-protest from the far-Right rally. A large contingent of shield bearers and vehicles defended the mobilization from all sides while projectiles were launched at the far-Right over police lines. Several MAGA stragglers were run off and prevented from joining the far-Right rally.

Counter-protesters continued their march around the Capitol, chasing down any far-Right rally goers who appeared and smashing up numerous far-Right vehicles along N st. At one point, a Three Percenter dressed up as Santa Claus and 3 other far-Right rally goers attempted to engage in a physical confrontation, but they were quickly overtaken and run off. One dropped a large knife as he fled. Two members of the MAGA movement attempted to attack the group of antifascists with pepper spray and were immediately beaten back until they were no longer a threat.

The mobilization then marched back to Fremont park for a celebratory burning of MAGA flags and dispersed around 2:30 pm. For their part, the Proud Boys and far-Right attackers from previous weeks cowered behind police lines, despite their promise of “500 Proud Boys and other patriots” being ready to “teach antifa the lesson of a lifetime.” We hope that these bigots think twice the next time they decide to bring their violence and hatred to our city.

 

Despite the large police presence and multiple clashes, no arrests were made the day of. We want to remind everyone that state repression is still a looming threat, and should be treated with seriousness. The Sacramento Police Department (SPD) has confirmed that there will be ongoing investigations into the brawls and property destruction that occurred on Saturday. We can minimize the risk of state repression for everyone involved by collectively adhering to basic security culture practices. Do not circulate footage or photos on social media that include demonstrators’ identifiable features, such as faces, clothing, or shoes. Do not brag about specific actions that may have been taken, or speculate about who did what. Keep in mind that law enforcement frequently uses material on social media (public, private, or otherwise) to identify protesters and build cases against them. If you must talk about something sensitive, do so face to face, through the Signal app, or other secure means, and share information on a strictly need-to-know basis. If you are questioned or arrested by police, invoke your right to remain silent and don’t say anything without a lawyer present. Doxxing and harassment by the far-Right is another very real risk, and you can minimize it by locking down your social media accounts and keeping your face and real name offline. If you experience doxxing or harassment, reach out to us. We’re here to support you. If you experience state repression, reach out to the Sacramento chapter of the National Lawyers Guild for help with legal representation and bail. We won’t let doxxing and state repression stifle our movement, but we must be aware of the risks we face.

We want to thank everyone who came out to stand up to the far-Right or supported this mobilization in any capacity. Saturday was a decisive display of opposition, but we know that the local struggle against fascism is far from over. We call on everyone who opposes racism, bigotry, and far-Right terror to join us in continuing to build a strong, unified anti-racist movement in Sacramento and throughout Northern California. As we saw this Saturday, together we are strong enough to counter this threat.

Next Steps:

Share and donate to NorCal Resist’s bail fund

Support our unhoused neighbors who have been affected by far-Right violence by donating to CAFFE and Sac Neighbor 916

Help combat the far-Right locally. Check out the Antifa Sacramento materials page for printable posters to put up around the Sacramento area.

– AFA Sac