Posted on 06/10/2016 6:51:44 PM PDT by randita
UPDATE: 5 arrested for disorderly conduct outside Trump rally
From staff reports | Posted: Friday, June 10, 2016 9:00 pm
Update: Five people have been arrested for disorderly conduct outside the Richmond Coliseum, according to Richmond police.
Around 9 p.m., there was a moment of hostility outside the Coliseum between what appeared to Trump supporters and Trump protesters while the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump spoke inside.
Punches were thrown as protesters started scuffling with police. Police brought out riot shields, though tempers seem to have cooled and protesters moved away from the coliseum.
At least two men were taken aside by police. One man was handcuffed and left over a fence on a side where protestors were gathered. The fence was set up by police to separate protestors from Trump supporters.
Another apparent Trump supporter made his way to the side where protestors were and both he and the protesters shouted at each other, and police rushed over to the man and pulled him over the fence away from the protestors.
Earlier story: At about 8 p.m., nearly 100 protesters who had gathered in Monroe Park started their march to the Richmond Coliseum, where presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was scheduled to speak.
The group chanted: "No Trump. No KKK. No fascist USA. (Expletive) Trump!"
The protesters blocked part of northbound North Belvidere Street while marching to the Coliseum.
In addition to anti-Trump rhetoric, some also were chanting "black lives matter!"
Organizers of the protest prepared for run-ins both with police and Trump supporters.
Carry two water bottles — one for hydration and another for washing pepper spray out of eyes — was the message from one organizer.
They said police had voiced their intention of heavy-handed tactics, so the group is responding in kind.
At least three volunteer "legal observers" for the American Civil Liberties Union at Monroe Park were on hand to ensure people's rights aren't violated.
One volunteer said the crew would record interactions between residents and police, as well as any interactions in which someone's rights potentially are being violated.
"He's an embarrassment. He's an embarrassment to this country. He doesn't know anything," protester Peggy Sterling, of Richmond, said of Trump. "He's an outright racist and a bigot."
Ellen Hatch, of Richmond, said Trump has alienated all minority groups in the U.S.
"He's not welcome here. His kind's not welcome here," said Scott Weaver, 44, from Richmond.
Weaver, who said he grew up in a military family that preached the value of diversity, said he believes Trump is "trying to tear us down."
Today's was his first Trump protest, but Weaver added it won't be his last.
With some sporting anti-Trump T-shirts, the protesters were making more posters in preparation for the walk to the Coliseum.
Luis Luna, a 26-year-old from Richmond, was in Monroe Park trying to raise awareness for the Green Party's national movement in presenting an alternative to Trump and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
When asked why she was protesting Trump, Mary Atkins, a Richmond resident since the 1950s, said she doesn't understand "how that abomination got as far as he has in any sort of civilization."
Marshall Douglas, a 17-year-old student from Appomattox Regional Governor's School, said he felt helpless during the primaries since he's not of voting age and couldn't cast his vote for "not Trump."
He asked a teacher the best way to protest Trump's visit today, and she sent him a website with several options and he choose the group marching on the rally from Monroe Park.
"This is the only way I can get my voice heard," Douglas said.
Dawn C. said most of the group gathered opposes Trump for his bigoted speech and zenophobia, but they also opposed voting at all.
"Voting is not an effective way to effect change," Dawn C. said, preferring grassroots efforts. "We are going to resist in whatever way possible." Earlier in the evening, a crowd gathered outside the Coliseum Hours before Donald Trump was scheduled to speak at the Richmond Coliseum, people gathered outside the venue.
Secret Service and Richmond police were first on the scene around 3 p.m. A short time later vendors, Trump supporters and protesters started arriving. Doors opened for the event at 5 p.m.. The rally is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.
Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham and Fire Chief Robert Creecy took a leisurely walk around a largely empty plaza at the Coliseum two hours before Trump's scheduled speech.
"It's early, but right now it's good," Durham said with a smile. "It's real good."
Creecy said the fire department, emergency medical services and ambulance authority were standing by just in case.
"It's just being prepared," Creecy said.
Police are not allowing anyone to linger on the Coliseum plaza, which Durham described as a "public safety zone." He said anyone not going into the arena is being directed to Festival Park so police, fire and emergency workers can respond without crowds obstructing them.
Durham said he based the policy on advice from law enforcement officials in California. "Unless you go in, you don't need to be hanging around in case something happens," he said.
People approaching the Coliseum from North 7th Street are being directed to the right side of a fence to go to the event and to the left for protesters to go to Festival Park behind the former 6th Street Marketplace. Police presence includes officers on horses.
Molly Bosscher, associate rector at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and her son, Isak Davis, stood in silent protest against Trump.
"I'm really just standing - not interacting with the crowd in a dangerous way - just standing," said Davis, a rising sophomore at Kenyon College.
"I believe in loving your neighbor," Bosscher said.
Haley Cox, of Florida, was on Broad Street selling Trump merchandise.
"My uncles have a T-shirt pressing shop," Cox said. "They said, 'We're going to follow Trump around,' so that's what we've been doing."
Ta-Mara Moore, 50, of Cleveland, has been to almost every Trump rally since December selling "Street Talk Tees."
Two 18-year-old Lee-Davis High School students, Ethan Milstead and Madison Hays, stood outside the Coliseum to voice their opinion hours before the rally.
Milstead held a sign that said "Make America kind again," while Hays held a sign that said "End the misogyny, racism, xenophobia, homophobia and blatant ignorance."
"This is my 32nd Donald Trump rally," said Rod Webber, of Boston, while handing out flowers to protesters. "I try to be a calming presence."
Frank Monopoli, 27, of Chesterfield County, said this is his first rally. "I like his stance on health care and his sense of Common Core," Monopoli said.
Charles Weir, of Manassas, and Chris Sweckler, of Whitfield, are part of the group Bikers for Trump.
Both said that Trump embodies their group's beliefs of free speech and personal liberty.
"Our club members are defenders of liberty, and we make sure everyone has their First Amendment right to free speech," Weir said.
"Our club supports all freedoms granted by the Constitution," Sweckler added.
John Bloom said he left the Republican Party when Donald Trump became the GOP's presumptive nominee a month ago. Bloom, a laid-off Newport News shipyard employee, said he worked for Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign.
As a political conservative with nowhere to turn, Bloom resurrected the Constitution Party of Virginia, which he's trying to get onto the ballot. "Trump doesn't stand for anything," Bloom said. "The only thing he stands for is 'win.'"
His party is trying to collect 200 signatures in each congressional district, 5,000 statewide, to get Tennessean Darrell Castle on the ballot as its presidential nominee. But tonight Bloom is waging a lonely protest.
"Conservatives aren't used to protesting anything," he said.
Diane Paradise, 67, a retired police chaplain from Virginia Beach, drew shouts of both approval and dismay in the pullover she stitched together from Trump signs.
"I think it's time we got someone like Trump and his message out," said Paradise, who likes the candidate's focus on "jobs, security" and restoring the military.
World War II veteran Alton Collier, 88, had a sign that said "Veterans for Trump."
"He's (Trump) got more guts than all the presidents," Collier said.
While a small group of protesters chanted "Trump has got to go," Sonya Atkins countered with her own chant. "Trump has got to stay," she sang as she kept time clapping on a table outside the Coliseum.
Homeless and jobless, Atkins, a 53-year-old African-American, said people need to stop making excuses and come to terms with economic reality.
"I'm a moderate Republican," she said. "I used to be a Democrat, but I changed."
Around 5:20 p.m., Trump's motorcade arrived in Williamsburg — the first of three stops the presumptive GOP nominee will be making in Virginia today.
A handful of Richmond-area Democrats held a brief rally of their own outside the Coliseum, where they denounced Trump as misogynistic and a threat to women's health due to his stance against abortion rights.
"Donald Trump has consistently diminished the role, the authority, the intellect, the character of women," said Del Delores L. McQuinn, D-Richmond.
A group of Democratic protesters stood behind a fence and chanted as Trump supporters walked toward the arena. The group held signs reading "Trump's agenda: Punish women."
"For the health and safety of all Virginia women, we must repudiate Mr. Trump and the Virginia GOP's dangerous views," said Del. Jennifer L. McCLellan, D-Richmond.
"Trump has said that without the women's card, Hillary (Clinton) would not be a viable person to even run a city council," said Sen. A. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, who's running for congress in the 4th District.
"Dismissing the most qualified candidate in history because she is a woman may be outlandish for everyone else but not for Donald Trump."
Holly Johnson, of Chesterfield, worked on a cross-stitch of a pumpkin as she waited for the rally to begin. She had arrived at 4 p.m. with her son Andrew.
"At first I wasn't for Trump," Johnson said. "It's my 17-year-old who's been on the Trump wagon for quite a while."
She's a supporter now although "he can be brash."
"I like that Trump is driving the agenda ... I'm tired of the Republicans doing nothing, nothing," she said. "They say one thing, and two years later you don't even recognize who they are."
Dressed as George Washington, James Manship, 63, of Mount Vernon, compared Trump to America's first president.
"Washington was a business man," he said.
Manship said he has written three books about George Washington and has been studying his life and work since the '90s.
"We can solve a problem today if we go back to what our founding fathers say," Manship said.
Good to know some states actually try to protect their citizens.
The left has gone totally bonkers. Who fills these people’s heads with such patent nonsense?
"What do we want?"
"Hydration!"
"When do we want it?"
"Often!"
Why aren’t they protesting Obama? All of these economic and racial dilemmas should have been resolved now, right? Trump hasn’t been elected to zilch. Who’s been President for the last 8 years?
they best be careful, there are bikers in the rally, and they will not put up with crap from anyone!!!
...At least three volunteer “legal observers” for the American Civil Liberties Union at Monroe Park were on hand to ensure people’s rights aren’t violated...
But, not including Trump supporters
“Dismissing the most qualified candidate in history because she is a woman may be outlandish for everyone else but not for Donald Trump.”
LOL.
People vote for their own executioners.
Hillary is the most criminal candidate in US history.
"Dismissing the most qualified candidate in history because she is a woman may be outlandish for everyone else but not for Donald Trump."
Gotta read that twice. Read it and then read it again. This illustrates the grave threat faced by political discourse in the country.
If this person is not simply uttering the largest lie possible but is actually sincere (and she might be) then what exactly she heard, is precisely what Trump didn't say. Completely, arse backwards.
(And then there is the humdinger about Hillary's "qualifications")
Obviously the Richmond PD takes thier job more seriously than the San Jose and Albuquerque PD does.
Pretty good walk from Belvidere/Monroe Park to the Coliseum.
Wonder how many “protesters” they lost along the way.
“It’s a great brainwashing process which goes very slow and is divided into four basic stages. The first one being “demoralization”. It takes from 15 to 20 years to demoralize a nation. Why that many years? Because this is the minimum number of years required to educate one generation of students in the country of your enemy exposed to the ideology of [their] enemy. In other words, Marxism-Leninism ideology is being pumped into the soft heads of at least three generation of American students without being challenged or counterbalanced by the basic values of Americanism; American patriotism....
The result? The result you can see ... the people who graduated in the 60’s, dropouts or half-baked intellectuals, are now occupying the positions of power in the government, civil service, business, mass media, and educational systems. You are stuck with them. You can’t get through to them. They are contaminated. They are programmed to think and react to certain stimuli in a certain pattern [alluding to Pavlov]. You cannot change their mind even if you expose them to authentic information. Even if you prove that white is white and black is black, you still can not change the basic perception and the logic of behavior.”
—Yuri Bezmenov
Trump has her pegged. If she weren’t a woman she would have trouble even being elected to town council.
Trump for president. Clinton for prison.
...At least three volunteer “legal observers” for the American Civil Liberties Union at Monroe Park were on hand to ensure people’s rights aren’t violated...
I would love to “observe” them getting a wood shampoo. And then, of course, forget that I saw it.
Bttt.
They hung him over a fence? I'll bet that hurt!
Peggy Sterling, of Richmond, said of Trump. “He’s an outright racist and a bigot.
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But when Hillary refers to, “those fu***** Jew bastards”, that not bigoted or racist?
He asked a teacher the best way to protest Trump’s visit today, and she sent him a website with several options and he choose the group marching on the rally from Monroe Park.
VA tax dollars at work :- /
Marshall Douglas, a 17-year-old student from Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, said he felt helpless during the primaries since he’s not of voting age and couldn’t cast his vote for “not Trump.”
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My daughter is also 17 years old and couldn’t vote in the primary but her b/day is Oct. 6th. and she will register at that time and vote for Trump in Nov.
“My uncles have a T-shirt pressing shop,” Cox said. “They said, ‘We’re going to follow Trump around,’ so that’s what we’ve been doing.”
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I would not own a T-shirt that had to be pressed.
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