Anti-Trump protester charged with battery after beach brawl at Make America Great Again rally

An anti-Trump protester has been charged with battery after she punched a demonstrator at a Make America Great Again rally in Orange County and slapped another participant twice, prosecutors announced Friday.

Jessica Aguilar, 20, of Sacramento faces two counts of misdemeanor battery and is scheduled to be arraigned June 20 in connection with a fracas that broke out at Bolsa Chica State Beach in March, the Orange County district attorney’s office said.

On March 25, about 2,000 people waving American flags, wearing red hats and shirts and carrying pro-Trump signs held a rally on the beach while a few dozen protesters looked on. The event was one of several held nationwide to support first responders, military veterans, President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

When the marchers and counter-demonstrators eventually came face to face, the most extreme on both sides screamed and taunted each other until violence erupted. Prosecutors said Aguilar attacked two pro-Trump marchers, noting that others were also involved in violence that day.

Authorities had sought four additional prosecutions, but the district attorney rejected them because they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt who started the fights, officials said.

Aguilar was arrested by officers with California State Parks. She faces up to a year in jail if convicted.

Trump supporters attacked a reporter for OC Weekly and two photographers, and a masked counter-demonstrator pepper-sprayed a group of marchers.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

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