Name: Tyler Democrat Hank Gilbert’s campaign manager injured in scuffle at Sunday protest
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Tyler Democrat Hank Gilbert’s campaign manager injured in scuffle at Sunday protest

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A Democrat running for Congress against U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert says his campaign manager was assaulted by supporters of the East Texas Republican as protests in Tyler turned violent on Sunday.Hank Gilbert, a Tyler cattle rancher running against Gohmert, organized a rally in Tyler to protest the “illegal occupation of Portland by federal law enforcement.”Armed counter-protesters showed up and clashed with Gilbert’s supporters. about a half-dozen people involved in the scuffle, including a man in a Trump hat choking one of Gilbert’s supporters and pushing him into a sign. A local Democratic organizer who was there to register voters says she was punched in the chest, as well.‘I REGRET NEEDING TO VOTE NO’:Gilbert’s campaign manager Ryan Miller was “attacked by at least four protesters, some of whom were armed, and sustained blows to the head and other parts of his body, as well as a large gash under his eye,” according to the campaign.Gilbert posted on Twitter, as well as on the arms of one of the counter-protesters.“Louie, you need to get your supporters under control,” he tweeted.Videos show some counter-protesters holding signs supporting Gohmert, but it’s unclear whether they were involved in any altercations. The videos show a large group of counter-protesters, many with Trump signs and some with Confederate flags.Gohmert in a statement said “it is difficult to tell, from what I understand today, who started what.”“It is unfortunate that extremists wanted to bring the violent protests and riots we’ve seen around the country to our peaceable area here in East Texas,” Gohmert said. “I have no firsthand knowledge of what went on, because I was not there, did not organize it, didn’t know about it until it was taking place, and I was going to catch a plane back to Washington. But what came to my mind is the violence Democrat leaders paid to create at Trump campaign events in 2016, followed by Democrats then claiming Donald Trump incited violence.“They created the mess, then blamed candidate Trump,” he said. “There are Democrats and Marxists doing the same thing this year as well.”Gilbert said in an interview that Gohmert is “more committed to propagating nonsense and spewing hateful rhetoric, and chasing every black site conspiracy theory that’s ever come down the pike, rather than working on behalf of the people.”More from Benjamin WermundThe Tyler Morning Telegraph that three people involved in the incident said they were filing police reports and police confirmed they were contacted, though no arrests were made.Gilbert’s campaign claims the police “were idly driving around the square in their patrol cars, and waving at the counter-protesters who were heavily armed.” Tyler police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.Miller said in an interview he had met with detectives on Monday and plans to press charges.“It’s pretty disappointing we can’t even hold a peaceful protest without getting jumped because of the party we represent,” he said. “It’s crazy to me to think now I have to watch my back whenever I walk downtown.”‘A TERRORIST ASSAULT’?At least one of the protesters at the rally has disputed the Gilbert campaign’s claims. Caroline Artmire wrote on her Facebook page that Miller tripped and was not attacked, the Morning Telegraph reported.“No he was not beaten, he got shoved and then tripped himself because he was trying to defend the stupid guy that called me a name,” the post said. “Don’t let the dems fool you. All these men stood up for me, a young woman because I was disrespected by a 50+ year old.”Gilbert is a cattle rancher who has twice been the Democratic nominee for Texas agriculture commissioner, in 2006 and 2010. Now he is running a longshot campaign against Gohmert, who has won his last three reelection bids with more than 70 percent of the vote.ben.wermund@chron.com

A Democrat running for Congress against U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert says his campaign manager was assaulted by supporters of the East Texas Republican as protests in Tyler turned violent on Sunday.Hank Gilbert, a Tyler cattle rancher running against Gohmert, organized a rally in Tyler to protest the “illegal occupation of Portland by federal law enforcement.”Armed counter-protesters showed up and clashed with Gilbert’s supporters. about a half-dozen people involved in the scuffle, including a man in a Trump hat choking one of Gilbert’s supporters and pushing him into a sign. A local Democratic...

Tyler Democrat Hank Gilbert’s campaign manager injured in scuffle at Sunday protest

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