A protest outside Trump International Golf Course took a violent turn according to Palm Beach County authorities, resulting in a 76-year-old protester being taken into custody on accusations of battery. CBS12 reported that the incident occurred yesterday when Paul Messer, who was protesting in West Palm Beach, was seen striking a woman with a metal flagpole during a heated argument.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, as confirmed by deputies, said they observed Messer strike the female multiple times in the upper chest and neck area with the metal flagpole. The confrontation led to the woman stumbling backward and displaying "visible redness" on the right side of her neck. Following the incident, Messer was arrested and booked into the county jail with a bond set at $1,000.
Additional context came from photography by Local10, capturing images at the protest that reveal Messer's flag bearing anti-Trump sentiments and expletives, while the woman was noted to be wearing a “47” baseball cap, indicative of support for the former president. Beyond the altercation, images also show that protesters were wielding signs largely aimed at ICE policies and the Justice Department's actions pertaining to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Messer's criminal case, filed as a misdemeanor simple battery by Palm Beach County prosecutors, will be overseen by Circuit Judge Frank S. Castor. With his arraignment scheduled for 9 a.m. on March 10, Messer's swift bond release came less than six hours after his booking, with inmate records stating his release occurred at 7:40 p.m. yesterday, the same day of his arrest.
