DACA activist speaks after Denver protest assault: "I didn't realize how close I was to dying"
An activist is recovering from a traumatic brain injury after he was violently attacked during a protest in Denver, and the entire incident was caught on camera.
It happened near the Denver Skatepark, close to 20th Street and Little Raven Street, during the June 10 protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Now, the man who was injured -- a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or "DACA" -- is speaking out, hoping to raise awareness about the violence protestors can face.
"I didn't realize how close I was to dying from the pressure of the brain trauma," said Alejandro Claure De La Zerda.
The scars on Claure De La Zerda's head are permanent -- a painful reminder, he says, of the night everything changed.
"I'm so grateful to just be around, be alive, and be able to see my family and hang out with friends," he said.
What began as a peaceful protest turned violent when demonstrators moved toward the highway. Claure De La Zerda was there filming.
"I thought, 'I need to be there with my camera. If someone gets hurt, I need to videotape it. I need to be some sort of help," he said.
Instead, he was the one who needed help. Protester video shows the moment a man -- now identified as Chayce Neumeier -- struck Claure De La Zerda in the head with a skateboard, causing him to bleed internally.
He credits fellow demonstrators and law enforcement with saving his life.
"If left untreated, I could have lost my vision, my ability to talk, to hear, to move," he said.
Claure De La Zerda says Neumeier had been harassing people during the march and believes he was targeted. He worries that political rhetoric may be fueling violence.
"I think people need to realize the impact of the rhetoric; blaming immigrants for problems the U.S. is facing," he said.
"Someone was able to look at me and think, 'I can hurt this person and face no consequences, because the country is behind me and telling me that immigrants are the problem.'"
The Denver District Attorney's Office is actively investigating the case. Neumeier is facing a charge of second-degree assault, a Class 4 felony. His next court date is set for July 17.
Claure De La Zerda says he plans to press charges and won't let fear silence him.
"We're not going to be intimidated by acts of violence. Once fear sets in, that's when cruelty wins," he said.
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