It Was Gruesome': Waiter Pummeled in the Face with Hammer-Like Object While Protecting Business During Trayvon Protest

"It was gruesome."

That's how one witness described what happened in Oakland on Monday night when pro-Trayvon Martin protesters attacked a local restaurant. The "gruesome" description is specifically referring to the part where a waiter at that restaurant stood up to one of the protesters and was pummeled in the face with a hammer-like object because of it.

"Protesters with black masks approached the window and tried to bang at it," bartender Phillip Ricafort told the Oakland Tribune. "(The waiter) said, 'Don't do that!' and the guy turned around and smacked him in the face with a hammer."

Flora's restaurant in Oakland, CA. (Source: Google Maps)

Although "hammer" is the term used by the bartender, there's a question if it was another, similar metal object.

The restaurant, Flora's, was also the target of vandals over the weekend, which could explain why the fed-up waiter stepped in to try and protect the establishment.

The LA Times reports the waiter was taken to the hospital via paramedics.

Protests got out of hand in both Oakland and Los Angeles on Monday night as unrest continued in the wake of the George Zimmerman verdict.

--

Related Contributions:

• Teachers Union Boss Uses Zimmerman Verdict to Stoke Bitterness Between Races

--

[related]