Last year, Don James Grundmann, a religious bigot with ties to the Proud Boys and founder of the National Straight Pride Coalition, tried to hold a “Straight Pride Parade” in Modesto, CA. Grundmann’s intent was to hijack the “Straight Pride” branding of a Boston-based fascist group called Resist Marxism, who got national attention for the stunt. To capitalize off the Boston event, Grundmann wanted to hold his event a week before Resist Marxism’s. At the first Straight Pride Event in Modesto last year, the National Straight Pride Coalition struggled with PR, denied permits due to lack of insurance, and then the day of the event a handful of bigots got chased out of a barn they rented for the event by the owners, and got shouted down by a hundred or more antifascists, and liberals from the Modesto Pride Center.

This year, it was a rough one.

The intimidation planned for the August 1st “Justice for Womxn of Color” march in La Mesa wasn’t exactly covert. Then again, neither were the knives, bear spray cannisters, and clubs carried by the coalition of white supremacists, border militias, and assorted “patriots” who came together under the banner of Defend East County (DEC). The racists, who claimed to be there to prevent property damage, assaulted multiple people while police did nothing. Racists beat one Black child, leaving a huge bruise near her right kidney and another on her face, photos and off-the-record interviews conducted by LCRW confirm.