Kalamazoo Calamity: Street Fight Erupts as Political Protesters Clash in Michigan

The sheer and unadulterated division that we see here in America today, most of which comes from the oft-fraught political realm, has now boiled over into loud and brash violence in the streets.

The worst of it appeared to occur in Kalamazoo, Michigan this weekend, as provocative right wing group Proud Boys descended upon the city.

The First Congregational Church hosted a gathering of anti-racism counter protesters, who formed a perimeter around the area in Arcadia Creek.

“The Proud Boys, they not only have hatred for Jewish people and Muslim people, but they’re also very hateful of anybody who doesn’t look like them or act like them,” Rev. Nathan Dannison, the church’s pastor, told local outlet MLive.

Dannison urged the crowd to commit themselves to non-violence and non-aggression.

“Let’s work together to remain peaceful and manifest positive energy with each other, to take care of each other, to take care of our own selves and our own safety, and to defend one another,” he said.

Then the chaos began.

The Proud Boys started attacking the counter protesters, according to reporter Samuel Robinson, who was pepper sprayed by the nationalists.

Robinson, who is black, was later arrested by police for “impeding traffic”, while he was streaming a Facebook Live report for his local paper.

“Hell has broken loose,” he tweeted while covering the protest.

Social media posts gave Americans a first hand look into the darkest corners of their national identity.

Fights broke out between protesters and the Proud Boys group when they arrived in Kalamazoo. @wwmtnews pic.twitter.com/bgk0LGa6j7

— Trisha McCauley (@TrishaWWMT) August 15, 2020

Kalamazoo, Michigan pic.twitter.com/q2es6wUDqJ

— Samuel J. Robinson (@samueljrob) August 15, 2020

This is simply despicable behavior by all involved, and, as Americans, we should all feel some shame at this moment.