SAN JOSE, Calif., June 3 (UPI) — Protesters and supporters of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump clashed Thursday outside a San Jose, Calif., rally, resulting in arrests and at least one injury.
Protesters targeted Trump fans by hurling eggs and insults as they left the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, observers said.
Some people carrying signs or wearing hats in support of Trump were punched or struck with objects.
One bloodied man said, “I was walking out with a Trump sign and [a protester] grabbed my Trump sign, saying I was like a racist and stuff. Then he followed me, like, spit on me.”
While many of the approximately 300 protesters were peaceful, others engaged in fights with Trump partisans on street corners surrounding the convention center, where Trump’s speech took place.
Hats reading “Make America Great Again,” Trump’s slogan, were stolen and burned, and Mexican and American flags were brought in abundance by the protesters.
The San Jose Mercury News reported some of the demonstrators outside the arena were Latinos from East San Jose who said they opposed the violence and condemned Trump for touting racism.
“San Jose is populated mostly by immigrants and Donald Trump has inspired hate,” Miguel Ayala, 20, told the newspaper. “I’m all about love.”
Police concentrated largely on keeping the crowd away from the convention center, and intervened little in the conflicts. Some protesters lamented the violence interfering with their message.
Campaigns of Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders quickly condemned the violence at the Trump rally, with John Casca of the Sanders campaign tweeting, “We cannot stop Trump’s violent rhetoric with violence.”
