Dallas police arrested two people on Sept. 10 during an anti-Trump march near American Airlines Center after officers said protesters assaulted a counter-protester and blocked a road.
The demonstration began at Pike Park and moved toward the arena, where Republicans had gathered for the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention. The march reached McKinnon and Payne streets, outside the event’s security perimeter.
Promotional materials for the march featured logos for Communist Party USA Dallas/Fort Worth, Freedom Road Socialist Organization Dallas and other groups, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
An Indivisible Dallas event page said organizers expected participants to remain nonviolent, follow de-escalation instructions and carry no weapons.
Footage captured by The Dallas Express showed demonstrators surrounding a group of Christian street preachers during a tense confrontation.
Confrontation with Christian street preachers
Christian street preacher Chris Svochak told The Dallas Express that he arrived with three other people to preach before the demonstration began.
“I came here with a group of four people. We came to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Svochak said.
He said protesters eventually surrounded the preachers as they continued speaking.
“A lot of the people at the protest stopped what they were doing to surround us, so we were happy we got people to listen,” Svochak said.
Svochak alleged that several masked individuals then became physical with the group.
“However, Antifa came, or at least people that tried to look like Antifa, about five people in masks that had the transgender logos and the LGBTQ logos, like Antifa has,” Svochak said.
The available evidence does not establish that the masked individuals were affiliated with Antifa. Dallas police have not identified either person arrested as an Antifa member.
Svochak also alleged that people in the crowd threw water at the preachers and that several individuals tried to force him to the ground.
“One guy actually ordered all the guys to throw me on the ground as they were trying to keep me from walking away from a car that was coming that they had in their group,” Svochak said.
Police said officers arrested two protesters accused of assaulting a counter-protester and blocking a road. The alleged victim did not require medical treatment.
Separate footage captured by The Dallas Express showed a heavy police presence and a prisoner transport vehicle after the confrontation.
Dallas County jail records identify those booked as Hunter Holmes, 23, and Adrian Garcia, 19. Holmes faces two counts of assault causing bodily injury and one count of obstructing a highway or passageway. Garcia faces one count of assault causing bodily injury, one count of interference with public duties and one count of obstructing a highway or passageway. Each charge carried a $5,000 bond, bringing each man’s total bond to $15,000.
The charges are accusations. Holmes and Garcia are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
A march organizer, Rick Megumbar, disputed the police response, telling CBS Texas that the arrests were unjustified and alleging that people on the right had pepper spray.
Svochak praised the police response.
“Thank you, Dallas Police Department, today for helping the rights of Christians and preachers and for enacting judgment today, because I’m really blessed by it. I really appreciate it,” Svochak told The Dallas Express.
Democratic campaign bus appears near march
Footage captured by The Dallas Express showed a bus displaying campaign graphics for state Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D-District 47) and state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D-District 14) parked beside demonstrators at Pike Park.
Goodwin and Eckhardt are the Democratic nominees for lieutenant governor and comptroller, respectively.
Goodwin’s campaign Instagram account also posted video from the Dallas march that showed her walking among demonstrators while holding a “NO KINGS” sign. Her participation does not establish that she or her campaign organized, sponsored or coordinated the demonstration with Communist Party USA or any other organizer.
The footage does not establish that Eckhardt attended the demonstration or that her campaign arranged for the bus to be there.
The Dallas Express reached out to both campaigns to ask who arranged the bus’s presence, whether Goodwin or her campaign coordinated with demonstration organizers, whether Eckhardt or her campaign participated, and whether either campaign has any relationship with Communist Party USA.
Provided by Dallas Express
