Costa Mesa riot in which a police horse was injured by a rock thrown by an anarchist, was organized by the Democrat Party of Orange County and Orange County Young Democrats under the guise of an anti-Trump protest-LA Times

Police horse in Costa Mesa injured by rock-throwing anarchist:

"A police horse...named Drifter, was injured by a thrown rock, police said."

4/29/16, "17 arrested, man injured as vandalism mars protest outside Trump rally in Costa Mesa," LA Times, Bradley Zint, Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil, Luke Money and Jeremiah Dobruck

"There were reports of vandalism against police vehicles, public property and cars that were trapped in the gridlock accumulating where thousands of people had gathered.

Some of the protesters smashed a police car window and jumped on officers’ vehicles.

“It was a big melee,” according to Costa Mesa police Sgt. Bang Le, who said at least five police vehicles were vandalized. Police said one man was hurt during an altercation on the fairgrounds property. Paramedics took him to a hospital for treatment of a head injury that didn’t appear to be life-threatening,
according to authorities.

At one point, a Costa Mesa officer was hit on the head by a rock thrown by a protester, but police said he was unhurt, thanks to the riot gear and helmet he was wearing.

A police horse ridden by a Huntington Beach officer wasn’t as fortunate, authorities said. The horse, named Drifter, was injured by a thrown rock, police said.

At one point, a group of young men and women started rocking and jumping onto a car near Fairview Road and Fair Drive, an intersection that was eventually shut down. The driver got out and screamed at the group that a child was onboard.

"As police dressed in riot gear tried to control the masses congregating along Fair Drive, near Costa Mesa City Hall and the Police Department headquarters, many people were heard chanting, “Whose streets? Our streets.”

The Costa Mesa Police Department said officers arrested 17 people, all on suspicion of failing to disperse. By Friday morning, each arrestee had been released with a written promise to appear in court, Le said.

The crowd dispersed by 11 p.m., about four hours after Trump's rally began, the Sheriff's Department said.

The protest was organized by the Democratic Party of Orange County and Orange County Young Democrats, who consider some comments Trump has made about immigrants and others to be bigoted.

Erik Taylor, executive director of the Democratic Party of Orange County, said Friday that the party “does not condone the violence that took place at the O.C. fairgrounds last night, but we do thank the Democratic Party activists who did come out and protest in a peaceful way.” “Obviously things got out of hand,” he added...

Some demonstrators were draped in Mexican flags....

Some protesters with “Dump Trump” signs put them in horse manure that had been dropped on the ground.

In the afternoon at the fairgrounds’ Gate 1 off Fair Drive, a line of cars waited to get in, but officials had closed that entrance. Protesters were walking among the cars, waving signs." ...



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