… stories and videos after cut
Some Trump backers were forced to move through a gauntlet of protesters, many of whom were shouting at them, calling them “bigots” and singing, “Sha-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey, hey, goodbye.”
Donald Trump Cancels Chicago rally due to protests. Chaos and mayhem. Bloody protests in St Louis, 32 arrested.
Supporters and opponents of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump assemble in advance of a Chicago rally.
It’s been coming. The Trumpmania generated violence is here at last! Chicago and St Louis.
The minority divide widens. Shades of George Wallace, Nixonque?
We have finally descended into ‘Political Rascality.’
May God help us if we do not get a handle on the situation … Huge violent protests
… stories and videos after cut
At one point, a group of supporters and demonstrators nearly exchanged blows. Amid the chaotic scene, some demonstrators peddled T-shirts reading “Donald (Expletive) Trump.” One little girl sported an anti-Trump sign with a pun: “We shall overcomb.”
Earlier on Friday at a rally in St. Louis, Trump continued to taunt those who interrupt his events while promising that police and security would be “gentle” as they removed them.
“They’re allowed to get up and interrupt us horribly and we have to be very, very gentle,” Trump said in response to one of nearly a dozen interruptions as he spoke in St. Louis at the regal Peabody Opera House. “They can swing and hit people, but if we hit them back, it’s a terrible, terrible thing, right?”
Throughout his St. Louis speech, Trump was deeply critical of the protesters, all of whom appeared to leave the venue largely without incident. Police later said that 31 people were arrested and charged with general peace disturbance, and one person was charged outside the venue with third-degree assault.
The presidential candidate panned the protesters as weak “troublemakers,” ordered them to “go home to mommy” or “go home and get a job” because “they contribute nothing.””These are not good people, just so you understand,” Trump said. “These are not the people who made our country great. These are the people that are destroying our country.”
In Chicago, several protesters were removed from the arena before the rally was canceled. One section appeared to be filled with youths protesting his appearance, a majority of them African-American, Latino, Arab-American and Asian-American.
Before the official who announced the cancellation took the stage, a female protester shouted “f— Trump” while holding a “No Hate” sign. People in the upper balcony threw debris at her.
As of 6:50 p.m., there had been no arrests or injuries, said Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. Interim Superintendent John Escalante is on the scene. The Police Department was notified by university officials that the event would be shut down.
Leading up to the postponed rally, the crowd of protesters grew and police officers, including one on horseback, expanded the area to accommodate their larger numbers.
Nineteen-year-old Radia Mchabcheb said she came from Villa Park to stand against Trump. “There’s no support for hateful kinds of speech, especially for presidential candidates,” she said.
Protesters chanted “Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Donald Trump has got to go.”
A few Trump backers lashed back at demonstrators, shouting, “Build the wall!” a reference to Trump’s pledge to build a wall on the Mexican border — and have Mexico pay for it.
While emotions ran high, a phalanx of Chicago police officers worked to keep Trump’s fans and foes on opposite sides of Harrison Street.
Thousands turned out to see Trump, while outside the pavilion thousands of demonstrators had gathered.
Trump’s visit before Tuesday’s presidential primary in Illinois raised concerns on campus, with dozens of UIC faculty and staff signing a petition begun by a student leader asking how security would be handled and who would pay for it. More than 40,000 people signed it.
A 24-hour vigil leading up to Trump’s campaign stop and organized by Latino community leaders began late Thursday.
Chicagoan and paramedic Deirdre Fennessy held up a sign with a swastika that replaced the “U” in the Republican presidential front-runner’s name.
“Chicagoans don’t want him here,” Fennessy said.
“We’re not paying attention to them,” said a Trump supporter from Villa Park who gave his name as “Tony” and said he immigrated from Italy 40 years ago. He praised the hotel magnate’s “management skills.”
Most people who turned out for Trump were white. Farice Campbell, a 21-year-old African-American man from Chicago, said he came out of curiosity, and to see Trump supporters up close.
“We came to see in real life how this all plays out, and the reasons to support Trump,” Campbell said.
With him was 18-year-old Portia Torrens, of Oswego, who is also black.
“This is a huge part of history,” she said. “It’s good to be a part of it.”
St Louis. MO
Bloodied protester is escorted from Trump rally after activists shut the event down for ten minutes and The Donald tells supporters ‘the problem is nobody wants to hurt each other anymore’
Donald Trump held a rally at the Peabody Opera House in St Louis today Thousands of supporters turned out to hear him, with many left listening outside after the 3,000 seat auditorium filled up They were met with thousands more anti-Trump activists, many from the Black Lives Matter movement who protested in Ferguson Multiple fights broke out, with police forced to erect metal barriers and one bloodied man filmed as he was escorted by police Trump’s rally was interrupted by a group of demonstrators who made it inside, with The Donald becoming frustrated with attempts to remove them Lamenting that it was taking so long, he said:
‘Part of the reason it takes so long is nobody wants to hurt each other anymore‘A bloodied protester has been filmed being escorted from a Donald Trump rally in St Louis on Friday as demonstrators shut the event down for ten minutes.
‘Part of the reason it takes so long is nobody wants to hurt each other anymore‘
A bloodied protester has been filmed being escorted from a Donald Trump rally in St Louis on Friday as demonstrators shut the event down for ten minutes.
The black activist, who gave his name as Anthony Cage, was filmed being escorted into a police van by two St Louis officers with blood across his face and down the front of his sweater.
There had been signs of trouble as early as 8am when people began queuing outside the Peabody Opera House to get tickets, with large groups of pro and anti-Trump fans shouting at one another.
Police detain a man after a fight between supporters and opponents of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, ahead of his speech outside the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis, Missouri
The black activist, who gave his name as Anthony Cage, was filmed being escorted into a police van by two St Louis officers with blood across his face and down the front of his sweater
A bloodied protester was pictured after being taken from a Donald Trump rally in Missouri today after anti-Trump activists clashed with demonstrators
The rally was interrupted for ten minutes after activists made it inside the Peabody Opera House in St Louis, with Trump complaining about the delay, saying: ‘The problem is nobody wants to hurt each other anymore’
A demonstrator is removed from inside the Peabody Opera House during Trump’s rally in St Louis
Police move in to arrest a group of demonstrators after they began chanting slogans and waving banners comparing Trump to the KK during his rally in St Louis today
After a large number of demonstrators sneaked into the event and began a coordinated protest inside, Trump told the crowd: ‘Part of the problem and part of the reason it takes so long is nobody wants to hurt each other anymore, right?
‘And they’re being politically correct the way they take them out. So it takes a little bit longer,’ the River Front Times reported.
Demonstrators pulled off their jackets to reveal anti-Trump slogans, or produced banners, at least one of which compared Trump to the KKK.
Trump repeatedly summoned police to remove the demonstrators, and seemed to become irritated after it took ten minutes to escort them out.
It is not clear how the activist was injured, but there were multiple scuffles between Trump supporters and demonstrators.
Other reports indicated that the man was not arrested, but instead had his wounds treated and was allowed to walk free.
The fresh scenes of violence come after Trump supporter John McGraw, 78, was caught on camera hitting Rakeem Jones, 26, at another event in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Wednesday.
Thousands of anti-Trump protesters, some Black Lives Matter activists and veterans of the Ferguson demonstrations, wave banners and chanted slogans outside the venue
Trump supporters were also out in force, with lines for the rally stretching around the block and thousands of people left to listen on loudspeakers outside
Police were forced to erect metal barriers between the two factions as tempers repeatedly threatened to boil over, with Trump supporters chanting ‘build the wall’
Quizzed by Inside Edition on why he hit the black demonstrator, McGraw responded ‘we don’t know if he’s ISIS’, before adding: ‘Next time we see him, we might have to kill him.’
In response to the alleged attack, R&B singer Chris Brown urged black protesters to travel in groups to avoid being attacked.
According to the New York Daily News, the singer said: ‘Man, this s*** is getting crazy. Black people getting assaulted at f****ing rallies where you’re supposed to talk at.
‘What you need to start doing – all these black people, go together 40, 50 deep. See what they do then. Keep touching us, motherf*****.’
Trump has repeatedly refuted allegations that his often incendiary rhetoric, particularly against Muslims and Mexicans, has incited violence.
Organizers at Trump rallies have also been advising attendees on how to deal with demonstrators, saying they should chant and wave banners while waiting for the authorities, and have warned against getting physically involved themselves.
Thousands of people turned out to hear Trump speak in Missouri on Friday with a line hours long stretching around the block for tickets to be allowed inside the 3,000 seat theater.
Thousands more were left standing outside where they listened to the speech on loudspeakers, with anti-Trump protesters chanting slogans nearby.
The Fresh violence comes two days after John McGraw, 78 (left), was arrested after allegedly punching a black activist at a Trump rally (right) claiming ‘we don’t know if he’s ISIS’
TRUMP supporter John McGraw punching protester
The Fresh violence comes two days after John McGraw, 78 (left), was arrested after allegedly punching a black activist at a Trump rally (right) claiming ‘we don’t know if he’s ISIS’
Security were forced to erect steel barriers to keep the two parties apart as tensions threatened to boil over, video from the event shows.
According to local reports, many of the anti-Trump protesters were from Black Lives Matter, and had previously been involved in rallies in Ferguson following the shooting of Michael Brown.
Trump had to answer questions at Thursday night’s GOP debate about violence involving his supporters clashing with opponents at rallies.
Friday’s gathering in St. Louis was his first public campaign event since Wednesday’s rally, and Trump lashed out at the criticism.
‘You know, they talk about a protest or something. They don’t talk about what’s really happing in these forums and these rooms and these stadiums,’ Trump said. ‘They don’t talk about the love.’
He added that he and his supporters aren’t angry people, but they ‘do get angry when we see the stupidity with which our country is run and how it’s being destroyed.’
According to local reports, many of the anti-Trump protesters were from Black Lives Matter, and had previously been involved in rallies in Ferguson following the shooting of Michael Brown.
Trump had to answer questions at Thursday night’s GOP debate about violence involving his supporters clashing with opponents at rallies.
Friday’s gathering in St. Louis was his first public campaign event since Wednesday’s rally, and Trump lashed out at the criticism.
‘You know, they talk about a protest or something. They don’t talk about what’s really happing in these forums and these rooms and these stadiums,’ Trump said. ‘They don’t talk about the love.’
He added that he and his supporters aren’t angry people, but they ‘do get angry when we see the stupidity with which our country is run and how it’s being destroyed.’
Trump was quizzed over whether his rallies incite violence at the GOP debate on Thursday night, a claim he denied, saying people don’t report on the ‘love’ shown by supporters
Local news stations reported queues of several hours long stretching around the block in order to hear Trump speak before he attends another event this evening in Chicago (pictured)
Trump supporters wait in line outside the UIC Pavilion in Chicago where Trump is expected to hold another rally tonight with more heavy security planned
Earlier Friday at a news conference in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump applauded his supporters who have taken on protesters who he says have gotten physical at his rallies.
‘The audience hit back,’ he said. ‘And that’s what we need a little bit more of.’
Later Friday, Trump will hold an evening rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago — a civil and immigrant rights organizing hub with large minority student populations.
Trump’s visit has already created waves on the campus. Dozens of UIC faculty and staff petitioned university administrators to cancel the rally, citing concerns it would create a ‘hostile and physically dangerous environment’ for students. Chicago police plan a heavy presence.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, student activists and longtime Chicago organizers are all planning to protest outside the university venue over issues that include what they called Trump’s disparaging comments, particularly about Muslims and Mexicans.
‘Donald Trump’s campaign, it incites hatred and violence with the things he says with marginalized groups that are very prevalent UIC,’ said Casandra Rebledo, a 19-year-old nursing student. ‘This is something we feel is a form of empowerment.’
Trump speaks to supporters at his rally in St Louis today which had to be paused for ten minutes after a large group of protesters got inside and started shouting slogans
Republican candidate Donald Trump greets supporters at the end of a rally at the Peabody Opera House
Trump signs merchandise including books and hats at the end of his rally in St Louis today
Gutierrez said he had no plans to enter the event. Instead, he would rally in a parking lot outside with a message focused on welcoming all.
‘We’re not going to let Donald Trump take us back to the 1950s,’ said Gutierrez, a Chicago Democrat, who has long rallied for immigrant rights. ‘We’ve worked too hard.’
Organizers of a student-led group, who expected hundreds of participants, planned to meet on campus and march to the arena where Trump will speak and set up shop in a nearby parking lot.
Members of Black Lives Matter Chicago, which has held largely peaceful smaller protests following a police-involved shooting in Chicago, also planned to participate.
Chicago police said they were coordinating with the Secret Service, university police and fire department officials on logistics.
‘People can expect to see a very visible police presence,’ police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
‘We’re not going to let Donald Trump take us back to the 1950s,’ said Gutierrez, a Chicago Democrat, who has long rallied for immigrant rights. ‘We’ve worked too hard.’
Organizers of a student-led group, who expected hundreds of participants, planned to meet on campus and march to the arena where Trump will speak and set up shop in a nearby parking lot.
Members of Black Lives Matter Chicago, which has held largely peaceful smaller protests following a police-involved shooting in Chicago, also planned to participate.
Chicago police said they were coordinating with the Secret Service, university police and fire department officials on logistics.
‘People can expect to see a very visible police presence,’ police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
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