CALGARY -- Minor scuffles broke out between white supremacists and anti-racism demonstrators during a downtown Calgary rally Sunday to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racism.

One man was arrested for assault with a weapon and another issued a summons for throwing a rock during the noon-hour rally that saw a handful of white supremacists challenge the crowd of 100 or so anti-racism activists gathered.

After taking off his shirt to reveal white supremacist tattoos and shouting racist slogans, a man swung a skateboard at an anti-racism protester who took his picture, hitting him in the hand.

The man was not injured.

“I was standing behind a pole and I didn’t want him to see who I was so I poked my camera out and took a picture,” said Jason Beers, 29.

“He started swearing, slapped the camera out of my hand then the police took him away.”

Police also removed a woman with a swastika tattooed on her cheek for her own safety after several masked members of the anti-racism crowd surrounded her and began aggressively hurling insults and taunts.

Describing themselves as “Caucasian supporters,” Layton Bertsch, 32, and Jonathan Besler, 32, turned up at the rally and were soon surrounded by an angry mob of anti-racism protesters, many who were wearing bandanas over their faces.

“We neither came to get in people’s faces, nor to all-out oppose what they are free to believe,” said Bertsch.

“We did come to share our unique view with you though.

“We’ve tried to make it as positive as possible and you should not be offended.

“We are all human and deserve our right to self determination.”

Now in its third year, the rally drew a much smaller crowd than the nearly 600 who gathered one year ago, but for good reason, said Rick Collier, a former instructor at Mount Royal who addressed the crowd.

“A lot of what we do is symbolic,” he said.

“A lot of what is important in life is symbolic.

“As a symbol, gathering here is significant for the people passing by in their cars.

“The general population will realize there is a resistance to the neo-Nazis, there is a resistance to racism.”

Despite the minor melees, police called the gathering a peaceful one.

“I think things went extremely well today,” said Insp. Kevan Stuart.

“There were no physical confrontations between the groups and that’s a positive thing.”