Biography
Alex Stokes Contompasis was a journalist and artist from Albany, New York. Since 2014, Contompasis was a frequent sight at national protests across the country, including Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017 and Washington D.C during the inauguration of Donald Trump. Contompasis recording of far-right demonstrators while attending rallies made him a frequent target of threats from the far-right. On January 6, 2021, protestors gathered outside the New York State Capitol in Albany, NY for a Stop the Steal rally. During the rally Contompasis witnessed a Proud Boy tase a counter-protestor in the neck which caused a brawl to break out. Believing that that Proud Boy was going to kill the counter-protestor Contompasis moved from the sidelines and used a keychain utility knife to stab the Proud Boy until he released the man. Police did not intervene until the violence had ended and when they arrived they arrested Contompasis and three other counter-protestors but refused to arrest any of the Proud Boys who instigated the violence. Contompasis was charged with several felonies. The prosecution used the fact that Contompasis reported on far-right violence to argue he knew the risks of attending the protest and thus his use of a weapon was premeditated and claim he was not attending protests not to document them but to find an opportunity where he could attack someone under self-defense grounds. At the same time the courts refused to allow the defense to inform the Jury about prior violence and threats Contompasis had faced from the far right. Contompasis was found guilty and despite the victim having no serious injuries Contompasis was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
