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Tiny BLM protest is stormed by 700 heavily-armed white counter-demonstrators with rifles and baseball bats
A TINY Black Lives Matter protest was stormed by 700 heavily-armed white counter-demonstrators with rifles, baseball bats and clubs.
Counter-protesters overran Bethel, – which has a total population of around 2,700 – where 80 people were demonstrating peacefully on Sunday.
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Counter-protesters included motorcycle gangs, Second Amendment advocates and "Back the Blue" groups, the Village of Bethel said in a statement.
The demonstrators clashed, and around 10 incidents occurred, the Village of Bethel said.
One BLM protester was punched in the back of the head, video circulating on social media showed.
A man wearing a bandana on his head with what appeared to be part of the Confederate flag hit another man from behind.
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A police officer stood just feet away from the incident, and looked over after the punch.
"Sir, I just got punched in the back of the head," the man said.
People began to yell.
No immediate action was taken by the officer in the remaining 20 seconds of video.
State Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, shared the video on Twitter.
Brown said "officers' inaction is shameful."
"This is why we need the Justice in Policing Act - to hold police accountable," he wrote.
Police Chief Teague said the victim initially declined to press charges in the incident, but changed his mind on Monday, the reported.
Village Administrator Travis Dotson said the incident will be independently looked at, reported.
In an update on Wednesday, Teague said in a statement that the cop who was nearby did not witness the incident.
The victim was identified as Nicholas Reardon, and the alleged attacker was identified as Johnnie Devault, police said.
Teague said police have filed a warrant for Devault's arrest.
An affidavit made public shows Devault is charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for assault.
Cops are currently investigating all the incidents that occurred at the protests, the Village of Bethel said.
Teague condemned the violence at the demonstrations when speaking with .
All six police officers with Bethel Police Department were on duty, and six officers from Clermont County were ready as needed, Village of Bethel said.
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Around nine additional officers ended up being dispatched, Village of Bethel said.
Teague told WCPO that Bethel was only prepared for the small demonstration.
Around 250 motorcycles were present at the demonstration.
Teague added to WCPO that the cops were "outnumbered many times with people having more weapons than the officers do."
Alicia Gee, who organized the rally, told WCPO the demonstration was supposed to "help our community build a more equitable community."
"We didn’t need that, and I don’t want anyone else to have to experience that," she added.
Doston added that while the Black Lives Matter demonstrators were local residents, many of the counter-protesters were from out-of town, The Washington Post reported.
Police have encouraged anyone with information regarding the victims or suspects in the Sunday incidents to contact Bethel Police Department.
The demonstrations came amid ongoing protests following the death of .
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Protesters across the nation have shown support for the Black Lives Matter movement, as they call for an end to systemic racism and police brutality.
Black Lives Matter protester in Bethel, Ohio is punched in the head by counter protesters in front of police
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