Adora Anderson, 35, of Watsonville, California, is accused of mayhem and hate crime enhancement after 25-year-old Philip Anderson was punched in the face during his free-speech event at the United Nations Plaza on Saturday, October 17. The victim and suspect are not believed to be related.
Videos and pictures on social media showed the moment Philip Anderson was assaulted at the rally against “Twitter and Big Tech” which was attended by several people with links to far-right and white supremacist groups, including Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer and the Three Percenters.
The event was soon shut down by police after it was vastly outnumbered by counter-protesters, who were seen throwing glass bottles and other missiles at the rally’s speakers.
San Francisco Police said they responded to the area of Leavenworth and McAllister Streets for a report of an aggravated assault at around 12:20 p.m.
When officers arrived at the scene, the victim, Philip Anderson, said he was participating in the free speech rally at U.N. Plaza when he was punched in the face by an unknown suspect, causing him to lose two teeth.
Adora Anderson was later identified as the suspect and taken into custody in Oakland, California. The victim and suspect are not believed to be related.
Philip Anderson’s social media accounts were suspended in the wake of the rally. Prior to the event organized by his Team Save America group, Philip Anderson posted a video stating he expected attendees to be “beating the living s***” out of those who oppose the rally.
Philip Anderson also said he is a supporter of the far-right Proud Boys group and was previously seen at Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon, earlier this year.
A GoFundMe page to raise money for him to get his teeth fixed has since gone on to raise nearly $30,000.
However, during an appearance on Alex Jones’ infamous conspiracy theory show Infowars, Philip Anderson said the funds will also be used so he can organize another free speech rally against social media.
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and rally organizer Joe Biggs were originally promoted as taking part in the free speech rally, but pulled out following reports of infighting. Biggs also claimed the pair decided not to show up because of how badly the event was organized by Philip Anderson.
“This was p*** poor planning and people got hurt,” Biggs said in a video posted on encrypted messaging service Telegram. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Philip Anderson has been contacted for comment.
