Anti-Fascist Arrested Facing Assault Charges in Yolo

Special to the Vanguard

Monroe Detention Center officials – in a very unusual if not unconstitutional action – denied jail access to a National Lawyers Guild attorney Wednesday when he called about visiting a Woodland man arrested in connection to a neo-Nazi protest at the state capitol last year.

Mike Williams, a Brown Beret who worked security for anti-racist counter protestors at a June 26, 2016, neo-Nazi rally, was arrested in the predawn hours Wednesday near Davis on felony charges.  About 10 people, primarily counter protestors, were hospitalized after attacks from spear- and stick-wielding neo-Nazi members.

But when Arash Khosrowshahi, a Sacramento criminal lawyer and board member of the National Lawyers Guild, Sacramento Chapter, called to schedule an attorney visit Wednesday morning, the Monroe Detention Center staff denied him.

Mark Reichel, a high profile criminal defense and political defense attorney, said denial of an attorney visit by the jail “is wrong, and violates the U.S. Constitution, and California statutory law.”

Williams is being held on $500,000 bail and facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

The National Lawyers Guild is investigating the matter.

The Vanguard will have more information as it becomes available.



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11 Comments

  1. Jim Hoch

    “Brown Berets” are anti-racist? When did that start. Histrionically they have been involved in numerous racist activities.

    And a para-military group claiming to be “Anti-Fascist”? Is this the Vanguards attempt at comedy?

    1. David Greenwald

      I don’t think you know what the Brown Berets are: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Berets

      The Brown Berets (Los Boinas Cafes) are a pro-Chicano organization that emerged during the Chicano Movement in the late 1960s and remains active to the present day.[1] The group was seen as part of the Third Movement for Liberation. The Brown Berets’ movements largely revolved around farm worker’s struggles, educational reform, and anti-war activism; they have also organized against police brutality.[2] Several groups have been quite active since the passage of California Proposition 187.

       

      1. Jim Hoch

        That group does not exist anymore. The current use of the the Brown berets is by the terrorist groups in East Los Angeles and elsewhere who conduct “anti-gentrification” violence and intimidation which of course means anti-white.

        The same groups have historically been involved in anti-African American violence including firebombing black families in public housing projects.

        At this point the “brown beret” is more of a political statement than an actual organization but the racist intimidation against non-LatinX groups is very real.

         

  2. Keith O

    How many people were hospitalized from attacks from the counter protesters? I remember seeing video and the counter protesters were dishing it out too.

    1. Howard P

      Yes… and one individual from each ‘side’ of the nonsense has been charged and face trial.  At least according to the Bee.  But am thinking neither will be tried in Yolo County.

  3. Alan Miller

    Brown Beret who worked security for anti-racist counter protestors at a June 26, 2016 neo-Nazi rally,

    Brown, anti, counter, neo — what?

    Special – from whom?

    Single shortest bundle of WHAT I’ve seen yet

  4. Jim Hoch

    Here is an interesting piece the LA Times describing the brown berets trying to force art galleries to close. Sounds like “Anti-Fascism” is in the eye of the beholder.

    “In no time, the meeting went south as about a dozen mostly young activists, some wearing the brown berets of their 1960s Chicano Movement forebears, barged in. One woman covered her face with a red bandana. They accused Self Help Graphics of helping to roll the Trojan horse of gentrification into Boyle Heights by supporting art galleries popping up in the neighborhood.

    Hoisting signs with rebukes that included “Out with the galleries out with the sellouts,” the activists took control of the microphone from a Self Help board member and insisted that the art galleries get out of town. “

      1. Jim Hoch

        Keith,

        Exactly and I haven’t even got into the “racial cleansing” of housing projects. Yet somehow they are imbued with “AntiRacist” and “Anti-Fascist” regardless of how racist and fascist they behave.

        From The Guardian:

        “Police in Los Angeles are investigating the vandalism of art galleries in a Latino neighbourhood, including the spray-painted message “f- white art”, as possible hate crimes.”

        Don’t confuse that for racism, it’s “Anti-Racists” at work

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