A gathering in Pittsboro turned violent on Thursday after a scuffle broke out between members of two opposing groups.

A Facebook livestream of the incident posted by Kevin Pittman shows a group of people carrying Confederate flags standing at the Chatham County Historic Courthouse in downtown Pittsboro, the former site of a Confederate statue removed in November. People on the other side of the street are talking through bullhorns, criticizing the demonstrators’ support of the Confederacy and denouncing white supremacy.

About 29 minutes into the video, demonstrators with the flags then seem to move toward vehicles to depart, with one getting into a truck. The video then quickly swings to show a fight started between opposing demonstrators behind the truck, which develops into more punches thrown and Confederate flags swung to hit others.

A demonstrator swings a Confederate flag at other demonstrators after a fight broke out on Thursday in front of the Historic Chatham County Courthouse. (Photo via Kerwin Pittman.)

After the skirmish, video shows the two sides continuing to shout back and forth about how the altercation began. Shortly after, officers with the Pittsboro Police Department show up and separate the parties. Later in the livestream, an ambulance comes to treat the injuries one woman sustained during the incident.

The Chatham County Historic Courthouse has been the site of protests before, as pro-Confederate groups rallied in support of keeping a Confederate statue donated to the town by the United Daughters of the Confederacy before and after its removal. Such demonstrations often draw counter-protests from people advocating against white supremacy and racism.

According to a report from WRAL on the incident, the Pittsboro Police Department took out a warrant on one demonstrator on charges of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and assault on a female.

Photo via the Pittsboro Police Department.

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