Insults flew, punches were thrown and blood was shed following a disturbance involving individuals wearing Make America Great Again (MAGA) caps at the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) during Steve Balfour’s February 6 Tribute to ABBA concert.
Reports of the incident quickly circulated on at least one Facebook site before being removed due to the group’s policy against political discussions. Some members were promptly banned for disregarding this rule. Prior to deletion, conflicting versions of the events surfaced, mostly lacking unbiased eyewitness accounts.
According to various sources, the violent altercation occurred near the restroom area away from the main crowd. Allegedly, a Mexican man, angered by what he saw as deliberate provocation, removed a MAGA hat from one individual and threw it aside. In response, several others wearing similar hats assaulted him, resulting in injuries including a broken rib. The person who lost the hat suffered a bloody lip.
Meanwhile, a separate scuffle broke out nearby, during which a bystander, a young mariachi musician, was inadvertently splattered with blood.
An LCS volunteer, who was stationed at the gate, noted that the MAGA supporters had not initially worn their distinctive red hats upon entering the premises, suggesting they put them on after arriving.
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