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April 27, 2017, 12:44 p.m.

Groups of demonstrators began trickling into Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park in downtown Berkeley on Thursdayas police swarmed the city.

Among the activists at the park was Stewart Rhodes, founder of the citizen militia group known as theOath Keepers.Rhodes and his group had also gathered in Berkeley onApril 15, when a plannedPatriots Day rally erupted in clashes between pro-Trumpdemonstrators and counter-protesters.

"We are only here for self-defense," Rhodes said. His role, he said, was "to keep the hotheads in check."

Rhodes said his group plans to protect alt-right speakers at a Free Speech Rally at 2 p.m. at the park. Speakers plan to take the place of conservative commentator Ann Coulter after she announced a day earlier that she would not speak at UC Berkeley.

Announcements for the afternoon rallyinvited all patriots ... for an afternoon of free speech in America. We wont let the bad guys win.

The speakers include Gavin McInnes, founder of a far right group Proud Boys, and alt-right activist Kyle Chapman. Chapman was arrested at the April 15 demonstration on a warrant alleging an assault at a violent protest in March. When officers grabbed Chapman from the crowd and cuffed him, alt-right blogger Baked Alaska launched a livestream feed denouncing the arrest.

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Conservative and alt-right groups gather for 'free speech' rally in Berkeley - Los Angeles Times