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NJ Man In MAGA Shirt Allegedly Pepper Sprays Anti-Hate Rally Volunteer
By
David Colon
Published Sep 5, 2017
Modified Sep 5, 2017
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
By
David Colon
Published Sep 5, 2017
Modified Sep 5, 2017
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A woman making signs for a rally against hate in Asbury Park this weekend was allegedly pepper sprayed by a man wearing a shirt with a picture of Pepe the Frog and the words "For those about to MAGA we salute you," news that only makes sense in the terrible year of 2017.
According to the NBC4, 20-year-old Morris May was arrested Sunday night outside of a sign-making event for a Monday "Rally Against Hate" after pepper spraying 34-year-old Allie Koralik. Asbury Park Police told the channel that May was charged with aggravated assault and weapons possession.
Koralik told the Asbury Park Press that she attempted to talk with May, and his brother, after they both showed up outside the sign-making event at a gift shop with Trump 2020 signs and began harassing people.
"He was saying, 'I hate liberals,' 'I hate you people, 'you're trying to take away our rights'," Koralik told the Asbury Park Press. "When I asked him 'What rights?' he had no answer."
Koralik says that when she stepped in between May and another volunteer, May pepper sprayed her in the eyes, nose and mouth.
May, who told the paper he was a former progressive turned "hard-core conservative," claims that Koralik called him a Nazi and only pepper sprayed her in self-defense after she got so close to him that their stomachs were touching.
"That guy, he's just a really lost person," Koralik, who is transgender, told the Asbury Park Press. "I have no hate for him. He politicized a sign-making party."
Police say the incident remains under investigation.
Koralik also told NBC that she attended the rally on Monday despite getting pepper sprayed. "What are you going to do, let it take over? Let people like that win?"
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