A family of four on a camping trip in Washington state were followed by armed local residents and accused of being ANTIFA protesters last week, local police said.
The biracial family — consisting of a husband and wife, their 16-year-old daughter, and the husband’s mother — were traveling in a school bus on their trip in Clallam County last Wednesday when they stopped at a local camping store to pick up supplies.
In the parking lot, they were confronted by “seven or eight car loads of people” who accused them of being protesters and tried to block them from leaving, the sheriff’s office said.
The family denied being affiliated with ANTIFA — then drove around the people and headed to their camping site, authorities said.
Four cars followed them, including at least two that had passengers armed with semi-automatic rifles, according to police.
The family got to the nearby campsite and started pitching a tent, but became alarmed when they heard gunshots in the distance, the sheriff’s office said.
They decided to leave, but found someone had chopped trees down and blocked the road with the debris. They then called police, who escorted them to a local station and interviewed them about the incident.
Authorities are conducting a criminal investigation to find out who was menacing the family.
ANTIFA, an acronym that stands for anti-fascist, is a loosely organized group that has been accused of sparking violence and destruction at George Floyd demonstrations across the country by the Trump administration.