Saturday was a busy day for antifa across the country, but they were up to the challenge – especially in the PVD!

PROVIDENCE, RI – As an old antifascist song played in the rain, a Boston-based neo-fascist group holding a rally at the Rhode Island Statehouse Saturday, left just as quickly as they arrived when they were met by a large contingent of the community fighting back against them.

According to Uprise RI, approximately 30 persons from Resist Marxism attempted to hold a “Providence Freedom Rally” on the south steps of the State House, but at least 250 members of Ocean State Against Hate blocked their pathway, forcing them to attempt to hold their rally on the lawn instead. When organizers turned on their amplifiers and tried to speak, they were drowned out by the antifascists with f drums, horns and chants, so much so that the amplifiers began to feedback. At some point the Resist Marxism tents and amplifiers were pulled down, exposing them to the rain and several fights ensued. Eventually riot police arrived and allowed the Resist Marxism participants to leave the State House grounds.  As they did with antifa chasing them down, a brass band with the antifascists began to play Bella Ciao! (“Goodbye, Beautiful!), a song used by the Italian partisans during the Italian Civil War between 1943 and 1945.

As the crowd chants “Whose streets? Our streets!” the band begins to play “Bella Ciao”. Proud moment for anti-fascist ancestors. 🏴🏴🏴 pic.twitter.com/7BoiPw0cNk

— Stop the Next ‘Unite the Right’ (@stopthenextutr) August 4, 2018

Reportedly, Two people from Ocean State Against Hate are known to have been arrested and one of the planned Resist Marxism speakers, Samson Racioppi, who is running for Congress in Massachusetts, was reportedly hit in the back of the head with a bike lock and briefly hospitalized.

The rally was organized by Mark Sahady, who has organized several far right events in Boston, and in addition to Resist Marxism, was attended by groups such as Boston Free Speech, who is planning a rally on Aug. 18, the anniversary of the one that was held in the wake of Charlottesville’s “Unite the Right” rally and was opposed by tens of thousands of people, and the American Guard, an organization founded by neo-Nazi Brien James, who is best known as the founder of the Vinlander Social Club, and is the spokesperson of the Indiana chapters of the Proud Boys and its offshoot the Alt-Knights.

When your only lines of defense are police and American Guard members… you might be a Nazi. #FashFreePVD pic.twitter.com/zQm7u2eJtE

— Stop the Next ‘Unite the Right’ (@stopthenextutr) August 4, 2018