R.C. Maxwell, a black conservative who supports President Trump, got punched in the face Sunday night while trying to discuss his views with opponents. His alleged attacker, a 20-year-old white man, was arrested while trying to board a bus that would take him out of the state. From the LA Times:

Richard Losey was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery with a hate-crime enhancement, according to the Laguna Beach Police Department. He was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Police said R.C. Maxwell was “peacefully” speaking with a group of people at Main Beach Park when the counter-protester punched him…

Detectives arrested Losey on Tuesday as he was trying to buy a bus pass to Ohio in what they believe was an attempt to “flee the state to avoid criminal prosecution,” police said.

As Maxwell spoke to a small group of a dozen or so counter-protesters, many kept repeating, “shut up, shut up.” Others begin saying Maxwell is a “sell-out” and someone shouts “You’re a traitor!” Eventually, another person warns him, “If you want to keep the peace, you should leave.” Moments later the suspect walks up from the side and punches Maxwell in the face:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOkP_f_xFdI

If you want to see the “dialogue” that preceded the assault check this much longer video clip. Speaking to Fox 11, Maxwell pointed out that under different circumstances this local news story would be running on a loop at CNN:

“If the optics were completely different and I was a black lives matter supporter and I was attacked on the Trump side of a protest I would be in the spotlight on CNN right now,” Maxwell said. “I went over to the left side to see if I could engage them with dialogue and I was instantly encircled by the so called anti fascists.”

“I was in a pinball machine full of Antifa, it was a little scary but I was being bold and not adversarial,” Maxwell said. “You just wanted to ask me a couple questions about what was happening and we couldn’t even conduct an interview. “Dialogue is being shut down and free speech is being attacked and it’s being attacked by so called peaceful protesters under the name anti fascists.”

He’s not wrong. After Charlottesville, the media is clearly primed for stories about right-wing violence. They remain curiously disinterested in evidence that some on the left are also engaged in political violence.