A 29-year-old artist who was physically confronted by several men at a Donald Trump rally after she shouted “Fascist!” says she was punched, fell backward into the seats, and had patches of hair pulled out — and that police made no arrests of the men involved.
Blake, who spoke to The Daily Beast in an interview published Thursday and asked that her full name be withheld, attended the president’s Oct. 12 rally in Youngstown wearing a homemade T-shirt reading “Release the Epstein files.”
According to her account, she stood up, opened her flannel shirt to reveal the shirt, and shouted “Fascist!” twice.
She said she was then punched and fell backward into the seats. Video footage shows multiple men physically confronting her, including pulling her hair.
Police removed Blake from the venue. The reporting does not establish that officers arrested any of the men involved.
Blake said she went to the hospital after the incident with a split lip, bruising on her back, and patches of hair pulled out during the confrontation. She described the experience as traumatic.
As the disturbance unfolded, Trump mocked the protester’s weight, referred to her as a man and suggested she was a paid protester.
Blake told the outlet she was not surprised by his comments. She criticized his behavior toward women and responded to his remarks about her weight by pointing to his well-documented fondness for McDonald’s.
Despite the assault, Blake said she stood by her decision to protest and considered speaking out important.
“I don’t regret it,” she said.
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