As neighbors gathered Saturday for Fresno’s annual Tower Porchfest, a belligerent man began verbally abusing three women at a pro-Palestinian booth, a witness said.

The verbal altercation soon turned physical, and Fresno police arrested Francisco Samaniego, 49, of Fresno, at the neighborhood festival dedicated to music and community. He now faces a hate crime charge among other counts.

A witness tells GV Wire that the women had set up an informational Free Palestine booth at a participating house. That is when Samaniego alleged was yelling profanity at one of the women.

“I heard him yelling and threatening people that they deserve to die, if you’re Arab, Muslim, or you support Palestine,” witness Amy Oakley said. “He ran up and hit (a victim) in the face and knocked her glasses off.”

Samaniego faces a felony robbery count and three misdemeanor counts of battery, vandalism, and violation of civil rights.

Witness Captures Video

The incident started around 4 p.m. at a home at Floradora and Linden avenues that was participating in the festival.

Oakley heard the commotion from her balcony overlooking the street. She started shooting video.

She said Samaniego then grabbed another woman by the hair, dragging her in the street. Two other women helped defend her.

The video picks up where Samaniego allegedly engages in a physical confrontation with three women. One woman appears to use a Taser on him. A zapping noise can be heard. “Get out of here,” one woman dressed in black can be heard saying, as the melee spilled out in the street.

“He was so full of rage that they Tased him at least four times, and he was still going after him,” Oakley said.

Two men, which Oakley described as Samaniego’s friends, pulled him away. Police arrested Samaniego a short time later.

As Samaniego allegedly attacked one of the women, he grabbed her phone and wallet.

“(One victim) followed at a safe distance trying to retrieve her phone, and he ended up throwing that on the ground and smashing it. And then he chucked her wallet down the street. And then when she bent over to grab it, he ripped her keffiyeh (scarf),” Oakley said.

Police Chief Reacts

Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama, at a Monday news conference, wants the “community to feel supported.”

“The Fresno community does not stand for hate or lawlessness, and we will continue to work with all members of our city to make sure everyone can express their beliefs without fear of violence,” Balderrama said.

Balderrama was aware of the video.

News Conference

“Although (hate crimes) are very hard to prove … in this particular case, we had video evidence. We had several witnesses and victims of the crime who cooperated with police for us to be able to make the arrests,” Balderrama said.

Balderrama said Fresno police have investigated nine hate crimes this year. He speculated that disagreements over political philosophies lead to an increase in such crimes.

Police, in a news release, indicated Samaniego was believed to be intoxicated.

“I don’t see very many people make great decisions while they’re under the influence of alcohol. And that certainly played a role in escalating this incident,” Balderrama said.

Perea: Deeply Troubled

Councilmember Annalisa Perea, who represents the district said the incident “deeply troubled” her.

“The altercation, fueled by bigotry and intolerance against the Palestinian Community, stands in stark contrast to the values in both our Tower District community and the broader City of Fresno,” Perea said in a news release.

“(Samaniego’s) arrest sends a clear message that hate crimes will not be tolerated in our city, and those responsible will be held accountable for their actions,” Perea said.

Porchfest Organizers ‘Disturbed’

Porchfest organizers released a statement Sunday on Facebook, providing some context.

“We do want to address an incident that occurred yesterday amidst a peaceful day of music and fun. We were deeply disturbed to hear about a hate-motivated attack at one of the porches. According to reports, a man allegedly espousing white nationalist views assaulted three women for hosting a Palestinian booth to raise awareness of the situation in Gaza. This type of hateful violence is completely unacceptable and has no place at Tower Porchfest or in our community,” the post said.

Jail records show Samaniego was released shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday morning. No court date has been scheduled.

A phone number listed for Samaniego’s business was disconnected.