The group of counter-protesters armed with household items said they supported the police and their intentions were to protect their local businesses and property from being damaged.
“Why were others tear-gassed for peacefully protesting but they could walk around with bats and be protected?” one woman asked.
“I saw hundreds of people teargassed two hours ago for walking around and these people are standing around with bats,” another person said.
The two groups argued over “new Fishtown” and “old Fishtown,” indicating drastic changes to the demographics of the neighborhood over the years.
A separate group of young residents in Fishtown gathered outside pleading with the men seen with bats, shovels and hammers to leave.
“Leave us alone!” one woman yelled. “We live here and they’re making us feel unsafe!”
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As tension continued to rise in the neighborhood, the two groups continued to argue with the police standing in the middle as a barricade, KYW reported.
A person standing in support of the police grabbed a “Black lives matter” sign from a protester and ripped it up.
“I’m ready to f**k s**t up. You know, I’ve been looking for a fight for the past six months,” a person was overheard saying.
Over in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, elected officials acknowledged white nationalists agitating peaceful protests in the town and urged people to be safe, Penn Live reported.
“We have seen with our own eyes the agitators that were in the crowd,” Mayor Danene Sorace said.
The police chief in Lancaster said they had “definite evidence” of white supremacists carrying handguns and other weapons while wearing body armor at the protests.
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