Trump calls off Chicago rally over security concerns
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Protestor Sanko Hampton displays an American flag in Chicago today before a rally with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Protesters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump chant after a rally on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago was canceled due to security concerns today.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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 Illinois-Chicago today.
CHICAGO » Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump canceled one of his signature rallies today, calling off the event due to safety concerns after protesters packed the arena where he was scheduled to speak.
The announcement the billionaire businessman would postpone the rally led a large portion of the crowd inside the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion to break out into raucous cheers. Many rushed onto the floor, jumping up and down with their arms up in the air.
“Trump represents everything America is not and everything Chicago is not,” said Kamran Siddiqui, 20, a student at the school who was among those celebrating. “We came in here and we wanted to shut this down. Because this is a great city and we don’t want to let that person in here.”
Some supporters of the Republican front-runner started chanting “We want Trump! We want Trump!” in response to the celebrations, and there were some isolated physical confrontations between members of the crowd. Chicago police said five people were arrested.
“It’s a shame,” said Trump supporter Bill Tail, 43, of the Chicago suburb of Oaklawn. “They scream about tolerance, but are being intolerant themselves. That doesn’t make sense.”
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 become increasingly contentious, underscoring concerns about the divisive nature of his candidacy.
A North Carolina man was arrested after video footage showed him punching an African-American protester being led out of a Trump rally in that state on Wednesday. At that event, Trump recalled a past protester as “a real bad dude.”
“He was a rough guy, and he was punching. And we had some people — some rough guys like we have right in here — and they started punching back,” Trump said. “It was a beautiful thing.”
At Trump’s rally earlier Friday in St. Louis, he was repeatedly interrupted by protesters. Police there charged nearly three dozen people with general peace disturbance and one person with assault.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, second in delegates to Trump in the GOP race, said late Friday that the billionaire has created “an environment that encourages this sort of nasty discourse.”
“When the candidate urges supporters to engage in physical violence, to punch people in the face, the predictable consequence of that is that is escalates,” Cruz said. “Today is unlikely to be the last such incidence.”
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.”
But Chicago police said they had sufficient manpower on scene to handle the situation and did not recommended Trump cancel the rally. That decision was made “independently” by the campaign, said police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
Trump said the anger on display in Chicago wasn’t directed at him or his campaign, but rather was a manifestation of the public’s deep frustration with economic conditions in the country.
“Our businesses are being taken away from us, our businesses are being moved out of the country,” Trump said on Fox News. “This is a demonstration against economic conditions on both sides.”
But many of the protesters in Chicago said they were there to specifically to stop Trump from speaking.
“Our country is not going to make it being divided by the views of Donald Trump,” said Jermaine Hodge, a 37-year-old lifelong Chicago resident who owns a trucking company. “Our country is divided enough. Donald Trump, he’s preaching hate. He’s preaching division.”
Indeed, Trump taunted the protesters at his rally in St. Louis, panning them as weak “troublemakers,” and 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.”
Dozens of University of Illinois at Chicago faculty and staff had petitioned university administrators earlier in the week to cancel the Friday night rally, citing concerns it would create a “hostile and physically dangerous environment” for students.
One Trump supporter at the Chicago rally said Trump had created the environment that led to Friday night’s melee by holding the event at the school — a civil and immigrant rights organizing hub with large minority student populations.
“I think he was kind of provoking things, to be honest with you,” said Dan Kozak, 23, from suburban Tinley Park. “He could have picked the suburbs and nothing would have happened.”
Hours before the event in Chicago was scheduled to start, hundreds of people lined up to get into the arena. Trump backers were separated from an equally large crowd of anti-Trump protesters by a heavy police presence and barricades.
Once inside, some supporters and protesters engaged in a series of intense verbal altercations. For the first time during his White House bid, the crowd at one of his events appeared to be an equal mix of those eager to cheer on the real estate mogul and those overtly opposed to his candidacy.
When one African-American protester was escorted out before the event started, the crowd erupted into chants of “Let him stay!”
Veronica Kowalkowsky, an 18-year-old Trump supporter, said she had no ill will toward the protesters — but didn’t think they felt the same way. “I feel a lot of hate,” she said. “I haven’t said anything bad to anyone.”
Chicago community activist Quo Vadis said hundreds of protesters had positioned themselves in groups around the arena, and they intended to demonstrate right after Trump took the stage.
Their goal, he said, was “for Donald to take the stage and to completely interrupt him. The plan is to shut Donald Trump all the way down.”
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Associated Press writers Don Babwin in Chicago, Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, and Julie Pace in Miami contributed to this report.
90 responses to “Trump calls off Chicago rally over security concerns”
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Murder capital USA. Look forward to a Sicario shootout tomorrow. So exciting. That old feller did what all of us wanted to do.
“Their goal, he said, is “for Donald to take the stage and to completely interrupt him..” Another proof that lots of opponents of Trump are riffraff who don’t play by the rules. Time to clean up the country.
And how exactly is anyone going to “clean up the country” – whatever that means in your mind? Do you have any idea how the Constitution works?
Tell that to Obama the great divider.
Simple. Just get rid of “them.”
Sounds a lot like Kristallnacht.
Clean up the country by throwing illegals out and put welfare families to work in public projects. Stop probation on top of probation and make 3 strikes and you are out nationwide for all crimes. Increase working opportunities in prisons. Discourage welfare people to have more children.
Allaha, how do you propose “throwing” 11 – 12 million illegal immigrants from the U.S.A. Who is going to do the jobs the majority of the immigrants are currently doing? They are primarily doing manual labor jobs, not jobs high in demand by typical U.S. citizens, and there’s definitely not a high percentage of illegal immigrants performing white collar jobs. As for Mexicans, I have never seen such an amazing work ethic, there’s no wonder why they are high in demand for agricultural and construction work. ON the mainland, take a drive by ANY Home Depot or Lowe’s, and check out which day labor workers are picked up first. No surprises there.
And, there’s sarge with his “Obama the great divider.” How about the Entire GOP the great obstructionists?! The entire Republican party signed with Grover Norquist, the day after Obama was elected President, to obstruct each and every piece of legislation Obama presented. And currently, they are joining Sen. Mitch McConnell in stating they will deny every Supreme Court Justice that President Obama using his Constitutional legal right to nominate. Think about the quality and values of the people you follow.
“Obama the great divider.” “Make America Great Again” Sen. Mitch McConnell is playing the same game as Harry Reid. I guess turnabout is fair play. Trump will unify the GOP as they are even trying to obstruct him
One at a time, Seaborn, one at a time.
The old feller is an undisciplined idiot and iI have no sympathy for him or the idiot he slugged
“the University of Illinois at Chicago — a civil and immigrant rights organizing hub with large minority student populations.” That’s how low the USA have sunk that “illegal” equals “racist”.
The US has been on a path downhill since Johnson opened the floodgates to Third World Immigration, effectively locking out Europeans who had built up the country. I don’t agree with building a wall – not at our expense: Instead we need laws that severely punish Illegals and anybody wo employs Illegals and then round them up and drive them out with armed crews.
Yes, of course. Fear anyone with a different skin color. Be very afraid. What happened to Republicans to make them such loathsome cowards?
Because places like Hawaii are full of haters of whites.
Huh. This was not my experience. I arrived here 37 years ago this week. I have been welcomed, encouraged, and allowed to build a pretty good life. I have not experienced discrimination in my jobs nor my community. I appreciate my neighbors and the people with whom I’ve worked over the years. I’ve enjoyed learning from them and being a part of the life of these islands. Sounds like you’ve not had similar experiences. Perhaps time to look in the mirror.
Exactly.
But not as many whites who hate all the minorities. Besides, it’s the whites who’s ruining this melting pot anyway, like a bad apple spoiling the whole bunch.
Ox buddy, the beauty of Hawaii is that everyone is a minority. There are no majorities. This is a situation that defines interpersonal relationships in a way that the mainland of America should observe.
Yes, of course. Everyone knows how oppressed white people are. You live in quite a world!
Sure. You obviously don’t get Hawai’i. I’m sure you can find a nice trailer in a red state next to some other trump voters
I’m white, and I haven’t experienced “haters of whites” since moving to Hawaii from Georgia. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but I’ve been all over the Islands, and have found the “Spirit of Aloha” is much more friendly and honest than “Southern Hospitality.”
On my father’s side, I’m a child of European immigration. In fact, my grandmother arrived at Ellis Island at 16 years old with a $5 gold piece and a dream. She knew no English but taught herself with a Finnish-English cookbook and built a life that allowed her to buy silk shirts for her son and send him to University. On my mother’s side we are directly descended from a signer of the Declaration of Independence, William Hooper. (Who interestingly, upon the death of his father freed his father’s slaves and offered to hire them back for wages.) I am America you midget and I reject everything your small mind conceives of what that means. Have you ever read the inscription at the base of the Statue of Liberty? (or perhaps, more to the point, do you ever read at all?)
You do not speak for me. You do not speak for the America I love and am a proud part of. You probably speak for the party of Cranky Bitter Old Men who really don’t have anything to do.
Except for the fact that almost every socital metric says different: home ownership, educational attainment, rates of poverty, crime rates, morbidity/mortality, equal rights, etc…..
White supremacy groups are now making robocalls for Trump, so this is not surprise. The man has no core values except his own vanity, and is embracing and encouraging violence at his rallies. His canned stump speech might actually sound less violent and less nationalistic in the original German.
More votes for Mr Trump.
Aren’t you talking about Obama?
White supremacy groups are making robocalls for Obama? Or, is Obama making robocalls for Trump?
His comments never make any sense. Never. I feel sorry for him.
Clastri, what sense do “black lives matter” demonstrations have at Trumps rallies? Those people should demonstrate in black neighborhoods which is where the most blacks are killed and predominantly by other blacks. And when you run out of substance- ” hinting German speech” everybody else is a Racist, a Hitler . a Nazi, etc .
If you don’t want to read my comments, then don’t. Your comments never make any sense, and I don’t care what your opinion is.
So much for free-speech in NO-bama country.
You apparently still don’t understand what free speech means. Have you ever considered reading about it?
Free speech outside is fine inside is not okay. Where’s your Commie flag.
We are headed into new territory. Let’s see what happens after this…. great entertainment. Went to vote the other night surprised to see lots of young people standing in a long lineS at Ben Parker.
Do you know how a “commie flag” looks? Please describe it to us commies. We sure know how the swastika and Confederate flag next to your white robe and cone head in your bedroom looks like.
So flying your confederate flag is fine but flying a “commie” flag (whatever that is) is a no-no?
“Commie flag?” LOL
Dude, you left your time capsule unlocked. You should hurry back inside.
Sarge, I wouldn’t expect you to understand what the Constitution says. After all, you have great pride in your ignorance of what that document says and does. You’ve proven that over and over again. But other people actually understand that Mr. Trump has no right to say offensive or unpopular things without being silenced by counter-protesters. None. And “commie flag”? If you write things here with the intention of learned people developing pity for you, it’s working.
SARGE, i AGREE. Keep free speech at public places and do not disturb and prevent other people to congregate and to listen to their speaker. That is terrorizing ! Only klastri does not know that and comes up with is poor understanding of the constitution.
Folks came to hear Mr Trump and he was denied the opportunity to speak. You speaking about learned people is hilarious. What do you not understand about the First Amendment? What planet are you on?
Allaha – I feel sorry for you. You have a willful and prideful ignorance of the law and Constitution and consistently miss the mark as to what free speech means. You lecture people about the Constitution, and it’s always a pathetic exercise.
Yes, sarge, the First Amendment is only a few sentences long and is easy to understand — but only if one bothers to read it. The First Amendment had nothing to do with any governmental interference in Trump’s right to speak, assemble or worship at the Church of Trump.
It has nothing to do with a bunch of private protesters disrupting his rally.
TigerEye – It’s like a whole class of people never took 9th Grade Civics or something. How can adults be so ignorant of the Constitution?
klastri:
Well, maybe they took civics and failed. What’s weird is that the D- report card is inexplicably held up as evidence of other peoples’ failings.
Klastri, I don’t like your hate speech, think you should be banned from this comment board.
I think you need to look up “hate speech” and take a couple minutes to read the definition.
I agree, for years klastri accuses every comment he dislikes of racism and Nazism. Why they don’t ban him I cannot understand.
I spent my entire adult lifetime at the bar – initially as a prosecutor. Thank you for your lecture about the law.
Allaha – I see. So much for your devotion to freedom of speech. If you don’t like what someone writes, that person should be banned? I’m sure that you don’t see the irony in your statement.
Kluster I believe at the bar but not as a prosecutor.
Yes, students only want an ultra liberal because they have been indoctrinate ever since they start school by their teachers and professors. Unfortunately, this is leading to the death of America. We no longer have free will only PC as demanded of us by liberals.
At least most of the students with whom I’ve worked for the past three decades can write a literate sentence and actually know what a past participle is.
Well, reading and writing aren’t for everyone. Unfortunately, this medium does not accommodate the clubs and rocks which some seem better suited.
I agree with you, since your grammatical abilities prove your point.
Yeah. Sure.
Yeah, funny how liberals tend to congregate in places where people think and interact.
This is what the Republican Party has bred. A contempt for scholarship and advanced education. The party of ideas has turned into the party of imbeciles. Like Mr. Trump always says … “I love the poorly educated!”
Mr Trump loves you. Hope you feel better.
sarge22- Are you nine years old? This is how you insult someone? WOW!
Look at Trump’s audience, they are all minimally educated. It’s partly what draws them to Trump, as they think he is going to do great things to make their lives wonderful. Trump is a business man, not a god. EVERYTHING he does is to make a dollar. He’s for limiting the Environmental Protection Agency, saying it’ll create jobs. Create jobs at the expense of clean air and water. If a company wants to hire an employee, it will do so regardless of necessary environmental restrictions placed on the company. Look at Trump’s businesses he’s helped create and/or branded with his name. Most have gone bankrupt, his namesake University is suing him, and on and on. Follow him, you low brow, knuckle draggers. The not-so educated are easily controlled.
Trumps mature well mannered audience tonight came to hear him speak and was rudely interrupted by the minimally educated low brow. Can you explain knuckle draggers? BTW The EPA is out of control and Rubio can tell you about global warming or climate change. What ever you want to call it.
Mature and well-mannered it seems when there’s no one around to beat up.
Going happen to all of his rally now. Going to get worst before it gets better.
808–it will get worse as long as it’s funded by George Soros’s PAC.
I think Trump as a presidential candidate is a complete joke, but it’s the intellectual tyranny of liberals and the minority groups they empower that have forced the simpletons off the edge to support possibly the worst presidential nominee in American history. Stop calling people racist just because of the color of their skin.
It’s not all about skin color. Take these comment sections for instance: folks have to guess at skin color — but not racism.
Exactly. This is one of the new Republican arguments – that Democrats have too much education and success, and that education forces the poorly educated into supporting Trump. That used to be the party of big ideas. Now it’s the party working to make minds as small as possible. The less educated someone is, the more likely that person is to be Republican. What a disgrace.
great publicity for the trump campaign–in a negative way.
his presence is causing riots–there is no unification here.
and this is what you want in a potus?
madam president here we come..
This is a sad day for America and the Constitution. Protesters using their right to free speech crossed the line by denying Trump his Constitutional right to free speech and denying the thousands of people at the rally their Constitutional right to hear what Mr. Trump had to say. Liberals support free speech only when such speech supports liberal causes or values. The protesters think they won, but I believe what they did will backfire because it will result in Trump’s standing in the polls rising in the next few days.
Exactly
You have invented a new right. There’s no such thing in the Constitution. If only for the sake of variety, could you just once write something that is truthful and makes sense?
Amendment 1 of the Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” How does that give protesters the right to interfere with Trump’s free speech rights or the rights of Trump’s supporters to assemble peaceable to hear what he has to say? In a previous post, you said you spent your entire adult life at the bar. I suggest you lay off the stuff.
Because Congress hasn’t made a law that restricts Trump. Is that simple enough for you? The Constitution limits the power of the government – not the people. People can lawfully silence anyone they want to silence.
Was about to say: you’ve cut and pasted that which you’ve never read.
Klastri, what law did Congress pass that allows protesters to interfere with someone’s free speech rights or the rights of people to assemble peaceably? Using violence to silence someone is not lawful. Where did you go to law school?
Ronin006 – I know this is really hard for you, so I’ll try again. The Constitution limits the power of government. So the freedom of speech you incorrectly write about so often only applies to the police power of the state being applied to silence someone. Private citizens are not constrained by the First Amendment. If citizens don’t like what someone says, they can rise up and protest, like they did tonight in Chicago. Mr. Trump has no right to speak without protest. None. You need to repeat high school civics. When the Constitution says that the Congress shall make no law …. it means just that. It doesn’t limit protests by private citizens to drown out someone’s speech. Now do you understand? The University of Michigan Law School.
Kalastri, the Supreme Court has made several rulings regarding what is and is not permitted under the Constitution’s freedom of speech amendment. It ruled that freedom of speech does not include the right to incite actions that would harm others (Schenck v. United States, 249 U.S. 47 (1919). That is exactly what protesters did at the Trump rally in Chicago last night and at the Trump rally in Ohio today. You apparently did not learn much at the University of Michigan Law School.
Hey, brainless one, where’s your indignation on the old white racist sucker punching a black man as he’s leaving?
The old white guy who sucker punched the black guy should be arrested, charged with assault and have his day in court, but the action of one Trump supporter does not justify the shameful actions of the hundreds of protesters who disrupted the Trump rally. They had the right to assemble and protest peacefully, but what they did was anything but that.
Nah, the protesters were simply pushing back against all the racism and bigotry spewed by Trump. It’s about time. And, I hope, REALLY HOPE, the protesters realize how powerful they can be! I hope they show up at the polls in November with such passion!
Hope and Change didn’t work so let’s try Make America Great Again. From the looks of those protesters doubt if they can read but they sure can cuss.Trump’s folks have the passion.
Kamram Sidiqi also represents everything America is not about. I don’t like your message so I am justified in shutting it down. Security should have locked the doors instead.
Trump lied; the Chicago Police Department did NOT tell him to cancel the event. There was no violence before the cancellation.
He’s pathologically unable to tell the truth.
Trump saved the day and the Chicago Police Department. It could have been really ugly.
the fascists shut down the speech
You might consider buying a dictionary and have someone read to you what the term fascist means.
an advocate or follower of fascism.
Fascist is someome who loves fashion. David Bowie sang about it.