Throughout the weekend protesters disrupted Donald Trump’s rallies, in some cases blocking freeways to keep supporters from attending events and even burning effigies.
In addition to protests where Trump is currently campaigning in Utah and Arizona, protests were also held outside of Trump Tower in New York City. Utah’s caucus and Arizona’s primary are scheduled for Tuesday, March 22. (RELATED: New Poll Shows Cruz With Big Lead In Utah)
The New York real estate developer held a rally Friday in Salt Lake City where his supporters were confronted by protesters outside the event. The anti-Trump protesters beheaded a Trump effigy and called him “the biggest threat in the world today.”
When Trump campaigned in Arizona Saturday protesters parked their cars on a freeway to stop attendees from getting to his Fountain Hills rally. One protester chained herself to a car and said, “[Trump] doesn’t have a place in the U.S.” Another activist chanted, “What do we want? Dead Trump!”
This tactic has been heavily employed by the Black Lives Matter movement, who have previously blocked bridges and halted marathons. (RELATED: St Paul Cop: Run Over Black Lives Matter)
The unrest spilled over into his Tucson event where a black man punched and kicked a protester who had donned a Ku Klux Klan hood.
WATCH:
A video from that same event also appears to show campaign manager Corey Lewandowski grabbing a protester by the back of the collar causing him to stumble backwards.
Here is Donald Trump’s campaign manager in the Tucson crowd grabbing the collar of a protester.
— Jacqueline Alemany (@JaxAlemany) March 19, 2016
Trump denies that it was Lewandowski who grabbed the man. He says that it was a member of his security detail that was there alongside the campaign manager. Trump added, “I give [Lewandowski] credit for having spirit.”
On the other side of the country in New York City, a few hundred people marched through the streets from Columbus Circle to Trump Tower in a non-permitted protest. One protester said, “I think Donald Trump is speaking a message of fascism and racism, and I don’t think that’s good for America.”
The protesters clashed with police, and there were three arrests made, with multiple protesters being pepper-sprayed.
The unrest comes a week after House Speaker Paul Ryan said, “I think the candidates need to take responsibility for the environment at their events. There is never an excuse for condoning violence, or even a culture that presupposes it.”
Trump reacted to these events Sunday and tweeted, “Why is it that the horrendous protesters, who scream, curse punch, shut down roads/doors during my RALLIES, are never blamed by media? SAD!”
He went on to say, “The protesters blocked a major highway yesterday, delaying entry to my RALLY in Arizona by hours, and the media blames my supporters!”
