Caught On Camera: Artists, Skateboarders Brawl At San Francisco Justin Herman Plaza
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A brawl among skateboaders and arts and craft vendors in San Francisco was captured on video and posted to YouTube.
It happened last Friday at Justin Herman Plaza, and captured by a witness on her cellphone.
Police say it started with an argument between two groups of skateboarders. They got into a physical altercation that bled over to where the vendors were located.
When an artist tried to intervene, it turned into an all-out brawl.
Warning: Video contains explicit language.
The skaters and BMX bikers who spoke to KPIX said it actually started with them trying to police a skateboarder who was on drugs.
"The one guy in particular was yelling at women ... corporate businesswoman walking around and he was yelling about really rude stuff and we told him, 'don't do that down here.'" said witness Jesse Puente.
The skateboarder apparently went over to the area where the vendors were and the confrontation escalated. "The vendors pulled out a hammer ... I don't know how that happened ... The vendor threw a hammer at the skateboarder. That's crazy! Then they were defending themselves," said Puente. "Afer that they just ... after someone threw a hammer, it was crazy! You know?"
The vendors at this point became the victims, according to witnesses, defending themselves from a group of skateboarders, some who were swinging their boards along with their fists.
Others are seen swinging a tripod and an easel, damaging both.
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The vendor who posted the video said at least four people were hurt before police arrived to break it up. Two people were reportedly taken away by ambulance.