A Democratic opponent of Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert said the Republicans’ supporters assaulted a member of his campaign over the weekend in Tyler, Texas.
Rancher Hank Gilbert, who is competing to unseat Gohmert in the November election, organized a protest against the Trump administration’s use of force in West Coast cities. However, he was met with a counterprotest by “Back the Blue” supporters. During the conflicting rallies, Gilbert claims a member of his campaign was attacked.
“My campaign manager, Ryan Miller, was assaulted, beaten, and had his iPhone stolen at our protest on the square in Tyler today by Blue Lives Matter protesters. Dozens and dozens of people who came to our protest were scared away by these thugs with guns and let our campaign know in phone calls and texts,” Gilbert said in a Facebook post.
“These thugs had every intention of starting a violent altercation from the minute we set foot on the square. They were chanting ‘Louie! Louie! Louie!’ While my campaign manager was being beaten. I call on Louie Gohmert to immediately denounce the violence that his supporters wrought today on peaceful protesters,” the post continues.
Gilbert’s campaign said they filed a police report with the Tyler Police Department.
Video shows many “Back the Blue” supporters holding U.S. flags and Trump campaign signs, largely booing Gilbert for criticizing the federal response to violence in cities. At one point, a few demonstrators became unruly and physically engaged with others.
“This is probably when the police should step in,” said a person recording the incident. “The guy doing the sound — someone took his phone.” Miller is ostensibly seen talking with Gilbert in the video.
