Eight people were taken into custody Thursday in connection with violence that broke out during dueling demonstrations in Pacific Beach on the part of supporters and opponents of then-President Donald Trump.
During the raucous rallies on the afternoon of Jan. 9, about 100 Trump supporters and a comparable number of counter-demonstrators clashed at the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Hornblend Street, growing increasingly belligerent until a large contingent of San Diego Police Department personnel arrived to separate them.
The arrestees, whose names were not immediately available, allegedly carried out a total of eight attacks during the fracas, victimizing 16 people, according to a brief SDPD statement released Thursday night. A ninth suspect remains at large, the department advised.
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Among those targeted by the violence were officers pelted by eggs, rocks and bottles and doused with pepper spray, according to police.
Aerial Images: Droves of Pro-Trump Supporters, Counter-Protesters Flock to Pacific Beach
The two rallies began about 1 p.m. near the entrance to Crystal Pier. Roughly 90 minutes later, as the chaos intensified, police declared the combined throng an unlawful assembly and ordered the demonstrators to leave the area.
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No serious injuries were reported.
Thursday's arrests took place in San Diego and Los Angeles counties. During the multi-agency operation, officers seized three guns and drugs along with ammunition and body armor, according to SDPD officials.
