Trump fans assaulted outside San Jose rally sue city

Anti-Trump protester Miriam Espinoza, 16, of San Jose, chants with others near the convention center before presidential candidate Donald Trump held a campaign rally June 2 in downtown San Jose. Anti-Trump protester Miriam Espinoza, 16, of San Jose, chants with others near the convention center before presidential candidate Donald Trump held a campaign rally June 2 in downtown San Jose. Photo: Leah Millis, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Leah Millis, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Trump fans assaulted outside San Jose rally sue city 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Fourteen people who say they were attacked by anti-Donald Trump protesters outside the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s rally in San Jose last month sued the city Thursday, claiming police officers did nothing as the Trump fans were punched, spit upon and beaten with rocks.

The suit filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose claims that Mayor Sam Liccardo, Police Chief Eddie Garcia and more than 40 protesters deprived rally attendees of their rights to free speech and assembly through assault, intimidation and harassment. It claims that the officials held back the city’s police force as violence broke out before and after the June 2 rally because they disagree with Trump’s political views.

The suit depicts a violent mob that police officers allowed to protest adjacent to the San Jose McEnery Convention Center’s entrance. It was filed on behalf of the plaintiffs by Harmeet Dhillon, an attorney and vice chair of the California Republican Party, and seeks class-action status on behalf of others who attended the rally.

“No citizen should have to feel that he is risking life and limb to attend a political event, or feel that his or her rights are somehow less important just because they happen to be different than those of the mayor and/or the chief of police,” Dhillon said in a statement.

Hit by bag of rocks

The suit says one plaintiff, Juan Hernandez of Santa Clara, suffered a broken nose when an anti-Trump protester punched him. Another plaintiff, Andrew Zambetti of Walnut Creek, was hit in the head with a bag of rocks, and plaintiff Rachel Casey of Loxahatchee, Fla., was “attacked by a mob of protesters, who threw eggs, a tomato (and) a bottle of water” and spit on her, the suit says.

Barbara Arigoni, a 71-year-old plaintiff who lives in San Jose, was attacked by three protesters who pulled her hair and broke her glasses, according to the suit.

“Instead of stopping the attacks ... several (police) officers and other city personnel, including members of the San Jose Fire Department, refused to respond to pleas for help from several of the Trump supporters,” the suit says. “Several officers told Trump supporters that the police were not permitted to provide assistance to those trying to return to their vehicles and leave the area.”

The lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive damages and an order that the city protect people attending future political rallies in San Jose.

City Attorney Richard Doyle said Thursday that he couldn’t comment on specific allegations because his office hadn’t been served with the lawsuit. But he said there was no basis for the accusation that city employees’ political views influenced their response to the demonstration.

“From what I know, the police did everything they could,” Doyle said. “They were very respectful to everyone’s First Amendment rights.”

On social media after the rally, Trump accused the mayor of doing “a terrible job of ordering the protection of innocent people.” He also called the protesters “thugs” and “illegals.”

Garcia denounced the violence the day after the rally and assigned a team of investigators to identify alleged attackers through photos and videos taken at the event. At a news conference June 3, the chief called protesters’ actions “reprehensible, completely unacceptable and unrepresentative of our democracy.”

Mayor backs Clinton

Liccardo, a Democrat and Hillary Clinton supporter, similarly condemned the violence in a statement that day but also said the Trump campaign bore some responsibility for the divisive climate.

“It is regrettable that this has become a pattern for cities hosting Mr. Trump across the nation,” the mayor said.

On Thursday, he called the claim that he told police not to intervene “utterly false. In fact, I have no authority to issue such an order.”

Liccardo said police have arrested 20 people on suspicion of taking part in the violence, and added, “We will do everything necessary to support the successful prosecution of the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law.”

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov