At former President Donald Trump’s speech in Washington, D.C. protesters arrived with paper and banners. The speech and protest were held outside one of Trump’s organizations, “America First.”
The firm, which received $1 million from Trump’s political action committee after Mark Meadows stopped collaborating with the Jan. 6 committee, includes former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows as one of its senior partners. The organization was referred to by OpenSecrets as “the dark money arm of America First Action.”
MAGA brownshirts. https://t.co/J4JVsV7KWN
— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) July 27, 2022
Video showing a number of protesters being attacked by a gang of guys were obtained by Raw Story from 26-year-old Mackenzie N. @Kenzington96, who works with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) but is not speaking on their behalf. The demonstrators unfurled a banner that read “Indict Trump” while yelling “No Trump! No KKK! No fascist-USA!”
Hotel security also sprinted to the scene as at least two white guys wearing green shirts, beards, and man-buns seized the “Indict Trump” banner and stormed out. The films Mackenzie gave showed a third individual wearing an Army green shirt with an insignia that appeared to be military-style on the left breast and an American flag on the left arm.
Yeah… here's what REALLY happened at that Trump speech….
Exclusive: Hired 'goons' assaulted SEIU conference attendees at the same hotel as Trump's speech https://t.co/z36WZzhvI4
— Sarah Burris 🇺🇦 (@SarahBurris) July 27, 2022
Although witnesses said the hotel acknowledged the “security” was actually employed by the America First nonprofit organization to manage “security” for their event, Mackenzie claimed the men were “hired goons” of Trump.
She claimed that she was in Washington, D.C. for a seminar for the SEIU’s strategic initiatives division that had been scheduled at the Marriott Marquis on Massachusetts Avenue about two months prior.
Exclusive: Hired 'goons' assaulted Service Employees International Union conference attendees at the same hotel as Trump's speech
Footage sent by @Kenzington96, who works at the (SEIU) showed a group of protesters being attacked by a group of men.https://t.co/1Beyl7vqhM— K_Conner (@kvconner) July 27, 2022
The America First conference was taking place on the first level, while the SEIU staff meeting was taking place on what seemed to be the second floor. Mackenzie claimed that in order to reach the tiny America First gathering, the guests had to pass through their neighborhood.
The breakfast buffet was set up and purchased by the labor union personnel as the America First delegation passed through the SEIU conference room. There was a large notice that stated it was only for SEIU, Mackenzie explained. Despite the fact that Washington is located in a region of the country where COVID-19 has experienced a large resurgence, she pointed out that they weren’t wearing masks.
Trump goons attack hotel workers protesting Trump at the hotel https://t.co/RwI0ja9agA
— frank 🇺🇸☮️🥃🌊 (@frankri504) July 27, 2022
The SEIU group began to notice the “America First” signs once they got to the venue yesterday night for their event and knew that Trump would be speaking there.
As a person of color, she claimed that she felt extremely uneasy in light of the white nationalist militias that have allied themselves with the Republican movement.
“I’m Black,” Mackenzie told Raw Story. “As a person of color, it was distressful that they were there.”
The security clowns should have worn brown shirts. The big goon with a flag on his sleeve looks hilariously serious.
Exclusive: Hired 'goons' assaulted SEIU conference attendees at the same hotel as Trump's speech https://t.co/Lcwqxyw6Q8
— 14th Book of Bokonon (@file_49) July 27, 2022
She said that they thought they had to make sure they took action since they are a union that stands out for working people who are frequently overlooked by Trump’s policies.
“We rearranged our programming just to acknowledge it,” she added.
The guests of the SEIU conference stayed in the space provided by SEIU for their own event and never went downstairs to the America First conference, according to Mackenzie.
She added that initially, only the white males in the faux military clothing arrived at the protesters in the hotel rather than any police. They took the signs from the SEIU members and shoved one staff member and body-checked another while assaulting two demonstrators.
I have many friends (nurses) who are members of SEIU
Exclusive: Hired 'goons' assaulted SEIU conference attendees at the same hotel as Trump's speech https://t.co/Ro9HxPOelq— Larry Thompson #TheResistanceContinues Vote Blue (@Libradad) July 27, 2022
Finally, the groups were separated by the police. In one of Mackenzie’s videos, one of the fictitious security personnel tries to force the SEIU group to leave by telling them that they are no longer welcome. The SEIU group explained that he wasn’t a hotel employee and that they had paid to stay at the hotel. The individual wearing the green shirt had no official position at the hotel.
The crew has previously been observed serving as “security” at Trump events.
Although the hotel attempted to persuade the SEIU group to enter their own conference room, close the doors, and remain there, they refused, claiming that they had already paid for the entire space.
According to reports, “what was happening directly outside, though, was significantly more exciting” while Trump was speaking. Videos from The Washington Examiner’s Facebook page showed other anti-Trump demonstrators as well as a giant “LOSER” banner across the street from the hotel.
