New Mexico Protests Turn Violent At Trump Rally
Once again, protests turn violent for Donald Trump, who didn’t get the warm welcome he may have hoped for when entering Albuquerque. Civilians and police were injured during the rally. Trump’s rally was interrupted by the protesters as police struggled to keep them from turning violent.
According to BBC News, New Mexico is primarily a Hispanic state, and Donald Trump hasn’t left many of them all that happy with his prior comments on immigration and how he plans to build a fortress around the United States.
Surprisingly to many of the people attending the rally, the protests began rather calm and peaceful a few hours prior to the start of the rally. The tension of the protests rose to a slight violent level once the Trump supporters began to file in wearing their Trump merchandise. It was then that the two sides started to exchange racial slurs, and the violence began when protesters started to toss bottles of water at the opposing side.
More: The moment protesters started attacking police, throwing chairs, rocks, water, and a gate at them. pic.twitter.com/ahalRir4SE
— Jacob Rascon (@jacobabc13) May 25, 2016
The protesters soared past 500 attendees, and that’s when the Trump rally protesters turned violent. Riot police and mounted patrol watched over the crowd, both in and out of the rally, trying to subdue and control the protests before they turned violent, but it was to no avail.
The protestor’s violence didn’t just target the Trump supporters, as the police found themselves as targets also. Several police officers and their horses were injured as rocks and water bottles being rocketed towards them. The police officers had no choice but to stand their ground and return fire with smoke grenades and pepper spray to try and subdue the protestors.
Donald Trump didn’t try to douse the fiery flames that came from the violent protestor’s tongues. Instead, he threw oil into the fire and watched as the protestors turned even more violent.
“How old is this kid? – Still wearing diapers!…Go home to mommy!” he remarked.
The Associated Press spoke to Karla Molinar, who admitted to her disruptive behavior towards Donald Trump and his rally. She said that her primary reason for protesting against Trump was because she felt that Trump was attacking her family members who happen to be living in the country illegally.
The protesters in New Mexico were thugs who were flying the Mexican flag. The rally inside was big and beautiful, but outside, criminals!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 25, 2016
The social media-savvy Trump still had a few choice words after his rally, for his protesters, referring to them as thugs and criminals.
The clash didn’t stop when Trump and his 4,000-strong supporters left the convention center. Around a hundred protesters stayed behind downtown.
The late-night protesters displayed their violence by igniting Trump paraphernalia and launching them at the police officers. Anti-Trump signage displayed slogans such as “We’ve heard enough” and “Trump is fascist.”
The convention center suffered damages such as broken windows and shattered entry doors.
Doug Antoon, an attorney in Albuquerque, said that rocks were flying through windows and doorways as he left the convention center amid the violent protests, with glass breaking and falling to his feet.
He also added, “This was not a protest, this was a riot. These are hate groups.”
In his speech, Trump commented on the current governor of New Mexico, Susana Martinez, who is the head of the Republican Governors Association.
“We have to get your governor to get going. She’s got to do a better job, OK… Hey, maybe I’ll run for governor of New Mexico. I’ll get this place going.”
The governor’s office shot back, reporting that Martinez battled for a welfare reform.
More of daughter's photos from last night's Trump protest. pic.twitter.com/DJZYzuBC6r
— MariaMeanMuthafuckah (@desertcronenm) May 25, 2016
Some are asking if Donald Trump will ever get charged for inciting a riot. The Inquisitr covered the last time Trump was involved in a< a href="http://inquistr.wpengine.com/2888762/donald-trump-inciting-a-riot-police-considering/">protest that turned violent, and for many, the number of protests turning violent is something new. Protests are a part of the political world in North America, but very few turn violent.
[Photo by Brennan Linsley/AP Images]
