An Ohio man is facing charges after a protester was attacked from behind during an anti-Trump rally Monday evening.
Video obtained by Ohio State University student newspaper The Lantern shows a man rapidly approach a protester holding a megaphone during an anti-Donald Trump rally at Ohio State University’s student activity centre.
“You idiot!” the man shouts, before shoving the demonstrator from behind, sending him tumbling down a flight of stairs.
Several protesters converge on the man and police quickly arrest him.
According to Franklin County Municipal Court records, 24-year-old OSU student Shane Stanton was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of assault. He pleaded not guilty in Franklin County Court Tuesday morning, and bail was set at US$2,500.
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Timothy Adams, the megaphone-holding protester who was attacked, said he has a hard time remembering the assault.
“It was kind of hard to process what was going on in the moment you know it was all really a blur,” Adams told NBC41 News in Columbus.
“This stuff will absolutely continue to happen. This is really just the beginning unless we’re able to organize and fight back against this kind of violence.”
A statement issued by the university called the attack “disturbing” and vowed a thorough investigation.
“We witnessed a disturbing incident at a political demonstration on our campus this afternoon,” the statement reads. “As we said last week, the safety of our students and freedom of speech are bedrock, immutable principles that are the foundation of our university. Ohio State is investigating this incident thoroughly. We are thankful that the speaker appears to not have been seriously injured.”
According to The Lantern, the demonstration began around 5 p.m Monday, organized by the Columbus branch of the Socialist Alternative, and drew a crowd of over 100 people. This is the third time in the past week an anti-Trump rally has been held on campus.
This comes on the heels of dozens of protests across the United States in the days since Trump won the U.S. presidential election, defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton.
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August Painter, the person who recorded the video on his cellphone, is a Donald Trump supporter who was there to document the anti-Trump protest and offer a dissenting voice.
He said he categorically rejects Stanton’s use of violence – or anyone else’s for that matter.
“We don’t just attack people. We want to talk to people. We want everyone to be unifed. This is one nation under God—we want people to feel that way,” Painter told 10tv News.
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