SAN FRANCISCO—On Saturday, October 17, a speech-rally that took place in downtown San Francisco had to be shut-down after a an organizer had a tooth knocked out by Antifa members. Counter-protesters reportedly became so violent that authorities needed to escort free-speech organizers to their cars for safety.
The protest, called “Free Speech Rally Against Twitter And Big Tech,” was planned to take place on October 17, at the Federal Building in U.N. Plaza. The building is near Twitter’s headquarters, and the event was held to protest Twitter’s censorship of an article published by New York Post, which dealt with Hunter Biden’s alleged emails regarding overseas deals.
Before the protest started at 1 p.m., hundreds of counter-protesters assembled next to peaceful conservatives gathered nearby. Some counter-protesters held signs that read “Smash Fascism” and “Nazi Trump F*** Off.” One group of individuals dressed in black were wielding shields.
Tensions quickly escalated, until the main organizer, Philip Anderson, was attacked and punched in the face while walking to the stage to deliver a speech, which knocked out two of his teeth. Counter-protesters then reportedly threw bottles at him while he was on stage, which is when Anderson announced that the rally had to be canceled. Videos posted to social media showed the assault take place.
Masked violent far-left militants attack conservatives at a small San Francisco gathering yesterday against Big Tech. Philip Anderson (@TeamSaveAmerica) had his teeth knocked out in an unprovoked punch to the mouth. pic.twitter.com/8lX6bLepFd
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) October 18, 2020
In one video, Anderson announced to the crowd: “This is what happens when you lose free spech. This is what happens America, this is what our country has turned into. Take a good look.”
Following the protest, Anderson shared a photo on his social media that shows his bloody mouth with one tooth missing and another hanging loosely, with the caption “Antifa attacked me for no reason.” Anderson was transported to the hospital to be treated for injuries sustained.
Following the protest, authorities determined that the protesters in the area were at risk from Antifa members acting violently, and had to escort them back to their vehicles. Videos across Twitter shows police motorcades taking protesters to a parking garage where their cars were.
The San Francisco Police Department announced other injuries among the crowd were also reported, and no arrests have been made.
