MAGA supporter accused of spraying anti-Trump protesters with bear repellent

Alleged attack comes amid inflammatory rhetoric during Trump presidency

David Nicholas Dempsey seen being arrested in Santa Monica after incident (AFP via Getty Images)

A man wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat has been charged with a felony after misting protesters in Southern California with bear repellant.

The man, David Nicholas Dempsey, was a part of about a dozen right-wing demonstrators who pushed against anti-Trump protesters on Sunday, near Santa Monica Pier.

After the supporters of Donald Trump pushed against the leftist protesters, Mr Dempsey pulled the pepper spray from his jeans and misted those in the crowd. He now faces charges of allegedly violating his parole, and using prohibited tear gas weapon and assaulting the crowd with a caustic chemical, according to KTLA.

“It was these f***ing libtards over here, man,” Mr Dempsey can be heard telling police in a video captured at the protest.

Wearing a short-sleeve button-down shirt decorated with marijuana leaves, he continued his thought: “These commies — I didn’t do anything.”

The incident is the latest example of political violence in the United States, which has been inflamed in recent years by inflammatory language that has been used by those on the left and the right during Mr Trump’s presidency. That inflammatory language includes, of course, frequent comments from the president himself.

The demonstration Mr Dempsey allegedly attacked was organised by an anti-Trump group called Refuse Fascism, which had partnered with the Revolutionary Communist Party and other groups since 2016 to conduct nonviolent protests.

Refuse Fascism pushes for the removal of Mr Trump from office, alongside the rest of Mr Trump’s highest government figures.

Police told the Los Angeles Times that the Trump supports had followed the Refuse Fascism demonstrators on Sunday as they advocated for the removal of Mr Trump.

They then exchanged insults for about 10 minutes, before they began shoving and screaming.

“Everything went to crap,” D Hicks, a Santa Monica Police sergeant who did not disclose his full name to the newspaper, said.

A post by the Revolutionary Communist Party indicated that “at least 10 other people got directly pepper sprayed in the face.” One individual can be seen on camera being sprayed in the face by Mr Dempsey, as he is held on the ground by two other pro-Trump demonstrators.

Mr Dempsey has contended that he and the others were attacked first.