Three demonstrators were stabbed by a motorist following a confrontation over a road blockage during a protest in support of Armenia in Fresno on Wednesday night, according to KTLA sister station KSEE/KGPE in Fresno.
About 150 people turned out for Wednesday’s “Stand with Armenia” rally, held in front of the River Park Shopping Center near Blackstone and Nees avenues.
The event was calling for more support for Armenia from the U.S. government in the nation’s ongoing, deadly conflict with Azerbaijan. The dispute is over the Nagorno-Karabakh border region, also called Artsakh, which is ruled by Azerbaijan but largely populated by ethnic Armenians and has previously voted for independence.
Fresno police responding to a call about a stabbing during the demonstration found three people suffering from stab wounds.
Police say the protest’s organizers parked four vehicles to block the intersection and catch the attention of people driving.
Two of the victims were taken to Community Regional Medical Center, one with a laceration to the arm and the second with a laceration to the chest. The third victim had a laceration on their finger, officials said.
All three are expected to survive.
The Fresno Bee reported that the victims were men between 18 and 26 years old.
The suspect fled the scene after ramming other vehicles, but police say they have leads on the man, according to the newspaper.
H/T KTLA
