Donald Trump’s Chicago campaign rally was postponed Friday evening as protesters shut down the event.
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CNN reported hundreds, possibly thousands of protesters gathered outside and inside the arena on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago Friday night.
In a shocking first, Donald Trump has canceled a rally at University of Illinois, Chicago, tonight due to “security concerns” as protesters infiltrated the event and clashed violently with disappointed Trump supporters.
Protesters screamed at Trump supporters as they walked outside.
“It’s usually the municipal government, the police because I don’t have guards all over these stadiums”, he said. Several people involved in fights could be seen being escorted out. Trump backers were separated from an equally large crowd of anti-Trump protesters by a heavy police presence and barricades.
Supporters of Mr Trump said the ugly scenes in Chicago were not the blame of the reality television star. “U.S.!” and “Illegal is illegal”. Seriously. OK? Just knock the hell – I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees.
It was the latest in a string of scuffles at his often heated rallies, at which protesters frequently clash with supporters and security.
At Trump’s rally earlier Friday in St. Louis, he was repeatedly interrupted by protesters. One person arrested outside the St. Louis venue was charged with third-degree assault.
Other altercations included a Secret Service agent allegedly choke-slamming a Time Magazine photographer in February, video capturing a black woman being repeatedly shoved and called “scum” in Kentucky, and a Black Lives Matter protester being tackled, punched, and kicked by rally attendees in Alabama. The former secretary of state said people around the world “watch us so closely”. Other Republican presidential candidates have also been invited. Speaking on MSNBC, Trump said: “It’s a little bit sad when you can’t have a rally in a major city in this country … whatever happened to freedom of speech?” “These are the people that are destroying our country”.
Anyone carrying protest signs or wearing obvious anti-Trump apparel was not allowed into the pavilion, according to ABC7.
The video shows Adeniyi expressing disbelief when police officers tell him he has to leave the rally. During Wednesday night’s rally in North Carolina, he recalled a past protester, “a real bad dude”. “They were rough, tough guys”.
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. Trump called the attack “a handsome thing”.
“And when you have a campaign that disrespects the voters, when you have a campaign that affirmatively encourages violence, when you have a campaign that is facing allegations of physical violence against members of the press, you create an environment that only encourages this sort of nasty discourse”, Cruz said. She said she was disappointed for those who were hoping to see Trump and lost the chance. “When they see what’s going on in this country, they have anger that’s unbelievable”.
He added that his campaign is about bringing people together, “not letting Donald Trump or anyone else divide us up”.
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“I’d rather be too strong than too weak, by a long shot”, he said.
