WASHINGTON -- Two people were arrested during the events of the Unite the Right rally Sunday in what was a mostly peaceful event despite high tensions and strong rhetoric.
One person was arrested in Virginia, and one in D.C.
The person arrested in D.C. assaulted another man with pepper spray. He was taken into custody immediately after the use of the pepper spray around 5:40 p.m., according to D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham. He is identified as 44-year-old John Mulligan, of Pennsylvania. Mulligan was also found to be in possession of a slingshot with large shards of glass, metal bolts and stones.
Chief Newsham did not know whether Mulligan was there supporting Unite the Right or the counter-protesters.
The other arrest was made outside of Vienna Metro station in Fairfax for spitting on a Virginia State Police officer. Their identity was not available as of Sunday night.
Chief Newsham credited a "well-executed plan" of keeping the two groups separate, which led to a mostly peaceful event with no major injuries.
The only notable police confrontation with protesters was when counter-protesters built a makeshift barricade, attempting to keep the Unite the Right rally participants pinned into Lafayette Square. Police had to forcefully remove the barricade with counter-protesters standing by it.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, who returned abruptly from a trip to El Salvador to monitor the rally, thanked the DC Metro Police Department for their work.
"We think we were largely successful in making sure those First Amendment activities were able to happen and we maintained peace and order in our city," Mayor Bowser said.
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