Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump resumed his campaign in Ohio Saturday after thousands of protesters clashed with his supporters Friday night, forcing the cancellation of a planned rally in Chicago.
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Protesters outside a Donald Trump rally in Kansas City were pepper sprayed by police, continuing the chaos that has followed the billionaire’s campaign.
In a telephone interview after postponing his event in Chicago, Trump said he didn’t “want to see people hurt or worse” at the rally, telling MSNBC, “I think we did the right thing”.
Last fall, Trump said a Black Lives Matter protester maybe “should have been roughed up”.
Rubio said that some of the blame for what happened Friday night in Chicago lies with the protesters, but he says much of the divisiveness is in Trump’s hands, adding that Trump is feeding into some voters’ anger and bitterness and is manipulating that for votes.
Protesters against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump shout at Trump supporters after it was announced that the candidate’s rally was canceled due to security concerns, on the campus of the University of Ill.
Trump blamed organised “thugs” for protests that shut down his Chicago rally and said the incident had “energised America”.
“So the issue now is Donald Trump has got to be loud and clear and tell his supporters that violence at rallies is not what America is about and to end it”, Sanders said. “We all have our differences, and we know many people across the country feel angry”.
“Another time Trump yearned for the old days when the protester would have been punched and ‘carried out on a stretcher.’ Then just a few days ago a female reporter apparently was assaulted by his campaign manager”.
A campaign statement said the event would be rescheduled for a later, unspecified date.
“I was ready for him”, Trump told the crowd.
Five arrests were made and two police officers were injured.
Trump briefly ducked at the podium and four Secret Service agents scrambled to surround him after a man charged the stage at Dayton International Airport in Ohio.
What caused the protests at Trump’s rally is a candidate that has promoted hatred and division against Latinos, Muslims, women, and people with disabilities, and his birther attacks against the legitimacy of President Obama.
Trump’s Republican rivals have denounced the escalating tenor of his rallies and knocked Trump for inciting Friday’s violence in Chicago.
While campaigning in St Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, Mrs Clinton criticised Mr Trump directly for “ugly, divisive rhetoric” that encouraged aggression and violence.
Violence broke out as Trump supporters and protesters shoved and punched each other, both sides shouting. “They deserve to be arrested”.
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Trump critics say his own statements at campaign rallies have fanned the flames and helped escalate the situation to violence.
