HOUSTON – “Make America White Again.” That is the sign neighbors and drivers saw as a group of people held the banner on an overpass in First Ward Saturday afternoon.
“To see it right here in your community, it was shocking to see,” said neighbor Ramiro Garza.
Traffic was high as many were headed to the Texans game. Garza Could see the sign from his backyard.
“I found myself getting angry. Angry to see something like that in the community,” said Garza.
Some of the demonstrators wore masks while holding signs and flags with swastikas. Nathan Vasquez said he confronted the group after driving by. He said the group made racial slurs at him as he approached them.
“I got into the middle of the banner, I yanked it, and broke off their lines. Then one of the older gentlemen actually hit me with a swastika pole. He stabbed me with it. And the other man came and hit me in the neck. Right before I can even react to that, I get bear-maced,” said Vasquez.
Garza is currently a Reserve Officer Captain in the Army. He said it is upsetting seeing people use their right to freedom of speech in this way.
“To devote your livelihood and your passions to protect the fundamentals of what America is. Innovation, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, just unity and then to see somebody go out and use that law, and those rights and benefits to promote something other than what America is, is really detrimental to where we might be headed,” said Garza.
He said the group’s sign is not what he fought for.
The group is not facing any penalties considering their actions were protected under the Freedom of Speech Act. The man who was maced by the group said he is not pressing charges.