HARRISBURG, Pa.–A Philadelphia woman is facing charges after she attacked a police horse with a flag pole during a demonstration in Harrisburg on Saturday morning.
Lisa Simon, 23, is charged with aggravated assault, illegally taunting a police animal, prohibited offensive weapons, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction administrative law. She was arraigned and taken to Dauphin County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail.
The incident unfolded during a demonstration at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg shortly after 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. The demonstration was part of “March Against Sharia.” The demonstration was scheduled to take place in more than 20 cities, including New York, Dallas and Atlanta, and was projected to be ACT for America’s largest protest against Sharia Law.
Harrisburg Police tell FOX43, Simon was with a group of ANTIFA counter-protesters.
On the South Jersey ANTIFA Facebook page, the group writes:
“A comrade was arrested while trying to demonstrate against an anti-Muslim rally in Harrisburg, PA. The charges are entirely fabricated and do not reflect what actually happened during the incident. The bail is set at an extraordinary $100,000. It is clear that this person is being held as a political prisoner, and we must make it known that we will not be intimidated by a militarized police, that we will remain resolute in standing by the values of our movement, and that we will continue to combat fascism wherever it attempts to spread.”
During the rally, multiple mounted Pennsylvania State Police Troopers and Harrisburg Police assisted with crowd control as demonstrators moved from the steps of the Capitol throughout the midtown area.
Simon attacked the horse with a flag pole as a Trooper and his equine partner, Sampson, were attempting to move the crowd along the 1200 block of North 6th Street, police said. The flag pole had a silver nail at the top and Simon hit Sampson in the side of his neck, according to police reports.
Police took Simon into custody and she resisted, records show.
Sampson suffered minimal injuries and was able to continue working.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 6.
