NASHVILLE (WZTV/CNN) - A 30-year-old woman allegedly was assaulted by a member of the White Lives Matter group that came to middle Tennessee on Saturday for two rallies.
Police said a group allegedly started the fight with an interracial couple sitting at a table Saturdayat 7:45 p.m. at the Corner Pub.
According to detectives, the victim said a group of 20 to 30 white men and women sat behind them and asked her to guess who they were. The police report said she responded, "White Lives Matter."
Another person replied, "That's right," allegedly telling her to join their table and leave her boyfriend.
The argument inside escalated, according to officers. When the female victim went outside to de-escalate the situation, another woman in the group began to argue with the victim, and a man struck the woman in the face with his fist, leaving a cut above her eye.
The alleged victims said of the incident they're "truly saddened. It's 2017, and it's crazy racism still exists on a major scale. How does White Lives Matter punch me, a 'white woman,' in the face?"
The victim questioned what the group stands for, why they're allowed to assemble and protest and why the business allowed the group to enter and leave.
The statement also said, "We need to open our eyes and come together to stop this injustice and hate."
White Lives Matter rally organizer Hunter Wallace said, "Our opinion is that it had nothing to do with the event. The event was over around 3:30 when we left Henry Horton Park. Everyone just left to go to a lot of different places, return home."
He and others identify the man in a witness' video as featured protest speaker with the Traditionalist Worker Party, Matthew Heimbach.
"The League of the South and a bunch of other groups, we stayed around our rooms all night," Wallace said. "I woke up to the news. So in our view, it didn't have anything to do with the event. It was a TWP matter."
Police said all parties involved left the scene before officers arrived.
The female victim returned to file a report, and declined medical treatment, according to police.
She said the suspects fled in multiple cars, including a white van with Wisconsin plates and a sedan with a New York license.
Police said the suspect that struck the victim is described as a white man in his 30s wearing a black-colored jacket and jeans.
In a statement, White Lives Matter said, "We do not endorse or promote violence. The truth is, there have been a lot of sub groups who call themselves White Lives Matter and they are trying to put a racist tone to the movement. The only thing we are saying is black lives matter and so do white lives and so do the hispanic lives. but if it's not racist to say black lives matter, then it's not racist to say white lives matter. God bless the poor soul who was beat up in Brentwood, TN. I hope they catch the perpetrator."
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