CHICAGO (AP) – Hundreds of jubilant protesters chanted victory cries and jeered at glum Donald Trump supporters as they filed out of an auditorium where the Republican presidential candidate abruptly canceled a campaign rally Friday night.
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“I want to thank Rahm Emanuel for not endorsing me”, he told the cheering crowd. The Trump campaign has denied the incident, despite a witness (a Washington Post reporter), photographs of bruising on Fields’ arm, and video evidence that Lewandowski at the very least reached for her arm.
The cancellation at the University of Illinois’ Chicago Pavilion arena came not long before the Republican front-runner was expected to appear before a crowd of 8,500 people.
After the announcement, protesters in the audience could be heard chanting the name of Bernie Sanders, a Democratic candidate for president.
Chicago activists have spent the week leading up to the rally planning how to disrupt it but there are plans to restage the rally another day.
The controversial Republican presidential candidate never took the stage before his campaign called off the rally.
“I think it was a very good thing we did, I think it was an intelligent decision”. Though he believed it would have been possible to move forward, he said he made the “wise decision” to postpone the rally to keep everyone safe. Chicago police plan a heavy presence.
Friday’s gathering in St. Louis was his first public campaign event since, and Trump defended his conduct and lashed out at the press for making too much of the clashes.
As Trump attempts to unify a fractured Republican Party ahead of next week’s slate of winner-take-all primary elections, the confrontations between his legion of loyal supporters and protesters who accuse him of stoking racial hatred have intensified at his rallies.
It follows controversial statements made by Trump in February urging supporters to “knock the crap out of” protestors. “I hope Mr. Trump speaks out forcefully and tells his supporters that that is not what the American political process is about”. Throughout his speech in St. Louis, Trump was deeply critical of the protesters, panning them as weak “troublemakers”, ordering them to “go home to Mommy” or “go home and get a job” because “they contribute nothing”.
“Can I be honest with you, it adds to the flavour, it’s more exciting. I promise, I promise”, Trump said.
At some events, altercations have turned physical.
Veronica Kowalkowsky, an 18-year-old Trump supporter, said before the event that she had no ill will towards the protesters – but didn’t think they felt the same way. Protesters, meanwhile, shouted “We shut s*** down” and “We stumped Trump”. On Thursday, a man attending a Trump rally this week was charged with assault after he allegedly sucker-punched a black protester being led out of a Trump event.
Maria Hernandez, a 25-year-old community organizer, broke out into dance as a Trump campaign staffer announced that the rally had been canceled. He was not arrested. “I haven’t said anything bad to anyone”. Our country is better than the shameful, dangerous, and bigoted rhetoric that has been the hallmark of the Trump campaign.
The page directed visitors to go to Trump’s website to secure tickets for the 6 p.m. rally. King had tried to get into the rally but the event was canceled before she got in the door. “I didn’t want to see the real violence, and that’s why I chose to call it off”.
As the crowd began to trickle out, Josh Glaspie, 28, smoked a cigarette on a sidewalk strewn with discarded signs.
His chief rival, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, said before addressing a suburban Chicago dinner that Trump set the tone for his fractious supporters.
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“Trump’s not racist”, Glaspie said. The lowest point of the evening – as disappointing as it was predictable – came when Tapper asked Trump about violent attacks on protesters at his rallies.
