WATCH: LGBTQ protester arrested for flag pole assault at California track meet

California’s track and field state championship in Clovis, California, turned into a crime scene Friday as tensions rose between opposing protesters. 

One LGBTQ protester was arrested after allegedly attacking a conservative protester outside Veteran Memorial Stadium at Buchanan High School, the Clovis Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

The man allegedly attacked is California right-wing activist and content creator Josh Fulfer, who goes by the nickname “Oreo Express” on social media.  

Footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows the LGBTQ protester, who police have identified as 19-year-old Ethan Kroll, striking Fulfer with a flag pole that had a large transgender pride flag attached. 

Additional footage showed the LGBTQ protester being arrested by Clovis police after the incident. 

Police records obtained by Fox News Digital show that Kroll, a male, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, obstructing a public officer and vandalism. 

Fulfer told Fox News Digital the incident happened after he left the meet, was driving with his wife and came up to a red light. He says Kroll was there wearing black face coverings. 

“They were yelling something, and they recognized me right away. And they said something. I don’t even know, I can’t understand what they were saying, but I said something in the nature of, ‘If you’re so proud and you’re not ashamed of your cause, why don’t you show your face? Why are you so embarrassed to show your face?'” Fulfer said. 

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“And then they yelled something. And when they yelled something, they started going right across the street onto the center divide. And then they said, ‘You’re Josh Fulfer,’ and started hitting me with the pole. They put the pole in the car and started jabbing me with the pole.”

Fulfer said he sustained bruising and scrapes on his arm from the strikes. Fulfer then pepper-sprayed Kroll’s eyes, he and police said. 

Fulfer alleges that after pepper-spraying Kroll, the LGTBQ protester pulled the pole out of the car and started smashing the roof and door of his car. Fulfer says he then drove away and alleges Kroll smashed the back of his car as he drove off. 

Photos provided by Fulfer show slight denting to the vehicle. 

Fulfer says nearby police officers watched and rushed in to intervene. 

Clovis Police Sgt. Chris Hutchison told Fox News Digital no other criminal incidents occurred at or near the track meet Friday night. 

“Our stance is always to allow people to exercise their constitutional right to free speech and protest,” Hutchison said. “They have a right to do it in a manner that isn’t inciting violence or causing other problems. … We don’t have room for violence or property damage or anything like that.” 

Hutchison and Fulfer told Fox News Digital police set up designated “free speech zones” for activists in attendance this weekend. 

The competition has seen a sizable presence of protesters due to the participation of transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School competing in the girls long jump, high jump and triple jump. The athlete finished in first place in all three events during the preliminary round Friday night. Saturday, Hernandez will compete in the final round and look to take all three state titles. 

Witnesses told Fox News Digital there were more than 50 protesters at the competition Friday, with many planning to return to Saturday for the finals. 

Women’s athlete activists held a protest early Saturday morning, organized by California Family Council Outreach Director Sophia Lorey. 

During Friday’s event, a plane flew over the stadium with a banner that said, “No Boys in GIrls’ Sports!” 

Hernandez dominated the girls’ postseason this spring, attracting national attention in recent weeks as President Donald Trump called out the state for allowing it to happen and threatening federal funding cuts if it continues.

Then the Department of Justice announced Wednesday it would launch an investigation into the California Interscholastic Federation and California Attorney General Rob Bonta over the state’s law that allows biologically male trans athletes to compete with girls and women. 

The CIF announced a pair of rule changes Tuesday and Wednesday in response to the backlash, expanding the size of the competitor pool and even handing out medals to any “biological female” athlete displaced by a transgender athlete at the meet. 

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