Despite violence seen at other rallies across the country, Saturday's "No Kings" protests in Alabama were largely uneventful, with the exception of an alleged assault in Mobile. One law enforcement official said there is more to the story than what has been reported.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said a verbal exchange turned physical when a man participating in the No Kings rally started an argument with another man, who was holding a sign supporting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The confrontation ended after the man holding the sign allegedly punched the No Kings protester.
"The person who was punched was the aggressor," Burch told 1819 News. "This was after it was over with."
"He went and got up in the face of another individual and threw a cup of liquid in his face, so he instigated it," Burch said. "So, he's clearly not the victim."
AL(dot)com, an outlet owned by Alabama Media Group, a subsidiary of New York billionaires Donald and Samuel Newhouse's Advance Publications, reported the exchange as a violent assault and spoke with the No Kings protester who was punched.
The man said he was hit in the back of the head, although his nose was swollen and bloody. The report did not mention a liquid being thrown in the face of the man who punched him. The report blamed President Donald Trump's "rhetoric on immigration" for inspiring the pro-ICE signs.
A No Kings rally organizer told the outlet she was concerned for the safety of participants after Burch said deputies would use force if protesters became violent. Burch made the comment on FM Talk 106.5 after a listener asked a hypothetical question about how the sheriff's office would handle rioting similar to what's occurred in Los Angeles.
The statement was heavily criticized after State Sen. Vivian Figures (D-Mobile) called on Burch to resign, implying that he had said he would use violence during a peaceful protest.
Ahead of the rally, Burch told 1819 News he stood behind his statement.
Mobile Police responded to the incident Saturday and have not answered media inquiries from 1819 News.
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