Thread: Protesters take to streets after Trump rally in California

Protesters take to streets after Trump rally in California

By Jeremy Diamond and Cheri Mossburg, CNN
Updated 10:08 AM ET, Fri April 29, 2016

Costa Mesa, California (CNN)Scores of protesters took to the streets Thursday night outside a Donald Trump campaign event here, drawing out police officers in riot and tactical gear and on horseback who sought to disperse the crowd.
The crowd gathered in the streets outside the OC Fair & Event Center as Trump addressed several thousand supporters at the Center's amphitheater. At least one police car was damaged and several scuffles broke out amid the hectic scene.

Protesters blocked a main intersection, impeding traffic, and officers with the Orange County Sheriff's Department and Costa Mesa Police Department worked to disperse the crowd, ordering protesters out of the streets.
About 20 people were arrested, the Orange County Sheriff's Department tweeted late Thursday night after the protests had cleared.

Lt. Mark Stichter, the Sheriff's Department's public information officer, could not provide an official estimate on the number of protesters, but demonstrators could be seen filling the intersection of Fairview Road and Fair Drive.

Several scuffles broke out between Trump supporters who were leaving the rally and people in the streets who accused them of being racists. One Trump supporter was visibly bloodied after being punched in the face.

Several people damaged a police car, smashing its back window before jumping on it and kicking its doors. As a crowd formed around the car, police officers in tactical and riot gear moved into action, forming a perimeter around the crowd before forcing the demonstrators to move down the road.

While some demonstrators shouted insults and slurs at police officers, others focused on delivering a message of protest against the Republican front-runner's rhetoric.

Several protesters told CNN they were demonstrating against Trump's rhetoric on illegal immigration. Some were seen carrying Mexican flags as they marched in the street. Other demonstrators shouted insults and slurs at police officers.
Rojelio Banuelos, a 26-year-old student, carried a sign that read, "Liberation not deportation."

"I'm against Trump's nativist and nationalistic agenda, which divides people and is very hateful of the other," he said.

While Banuelos simply marched through the streets, he called the property damage and anger some demonstrators expressed Friday night "the symptom of hate speech" and said he did not believe any individuals were taking advantage of the protest.

Katie Brazer, a 26-year-old community organizer who marched alongside Banuelos, agreed.

"I think people are tired of these messages of hate," she said.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/29/politi...ornia-protest/

I posted this for our folks out in California who are waiting for Trump to reschedule his rallies. He has been there for a rally and he was also at the State GOP Convention in California. That's where he had to park on a back road and walk in from the back because the protesters had the roads blocked. The Costa Mesa rally is where the protesters attacked the police car.

People may not know this, but many community and cities charge the candidates for this added expense of police protection for their rallies and events, and they are charging Trump for his. I don't know if Costa Mesa has sent a bill yet, but they probably will.

Protesters dramatically increase the cost of the rallies for the candidates. To me that's not a good system because it encourages protests and trouble when the community causing it isn't required to pay for it, but instead charges the candidates and their campaigns which means their supporters to pay for it.

If communities had to pay for the cost of police security at these events I believe community leaders would take a different approach to providing protesters so much TV coverage and issuing divisive statements that encourage protests.

Something everyone needs to think about. If it's free speech, then no one should pay for it except the community at large. If it's violence and trouble requiring additional police activity then the protesters and their employers should be billed for it. If it's just normal traffic routing and crowd control, then it should be the community that pays for it the same as if they were holding a festival.

Judy, bless your heart, but California is not like North Carolina. Trump visiting Costa Mesa and Burlingame is like a presidential candidate visiting SF and NY and thinking he had covered the whole U.S. Anytime the candidates go close to LA or SF they are surrounded by liberals. They have to go inland and away from the coast to reach the majority of Conservatives in California.

There is a lot of angst among Californian's. I remember when I had moved to my current home from the Silicon Valley and it came to the first election cycle I had this angst directed towards me. During a heated political conversation I went to voice my opinion and before I even said anything was told to shut up because I was just a tree hugging liberal. When I questioned why they would even think I was a tree hugging liberal it came to the fact that I was from the Bay area so I had to be a Democrat.

Most Republicans in California, do not even vote. I have said for a long time that if the GOP would put the resources into California and give Californians someone worth while they could turn the California GOP around. California would be a perfect scenario for Trump to come here and barnstorm the whole state. This would give Americans across this country a true example of Trump taking on the establishment and meaning what he says. But if he is going to be lukewarm with California and follow the same example of previous candidates then yes he might win the California primary, but he will not win the California National Election.

So advice to Trump and the GOP for California is: Go Big or go home!

MontereySherry wrote:

So advice to Trump and the GOP for California is: Go Big or go home

I agree Sherry!!

Hey Bernie is in Stockton. I myself try to avoid Stockton at all costs, but it is a smart move. Stockton sets right in the middle of farming communities. I can see Bernie appealing to the people who live in Stockton, but not the surrounding communities. The surrounding communities vote Republican. Now if Trump was smart enough to have a rally in Stockton I would even go.

I think he'll be back out there a a week, maybe two. Today's the 10th, I think he'll start re-scheduling his rallies for starting the 20th forward, and that he'll be out there until after the primary. That's my guess, anyway. \

Sometimes I'm a good guesser, sometimes not. I hope I'm right about this one.