Donald Trump spoke in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday afternoon. And these days, where Donald Trump goes, violence follows.
This is what a Donald Trump rally looks like
People waited in line for hours to see him, and many of them never got the chance. The venue he was speaking at houses 4,000 people, but his campaign appears to have given away thousands more tickets than that.
Thousands of people who couldn't get inside for the rally are gathered outside listening to Trump over loudspeakers. pic.twitter.com/cDiCv6XF9O
— Trymaine Lee (@trymainelee) March 11, 2016
That created a dangerous situation. In addition to the typical dangers of a Trump rally, there was an angry crowd of supporters and protesters outside the venue listening to Trump’s speech and yelling at one another.
This is what a Donald Trump rally looks like.
Battle lines drawn at Trump rally pic.twitter.com/Y9yRTnjOAm
— Trymaine Lee (@trymainelee) March 11, 2016
"Go back to where you came from!" pic.twitter.com/j28dltw2Wu
— Trymaine Lee (@trymainelee) March 11, 2016
The first arrest. A yelling match nearly turned into a fistfight. The crowd cheered as they dragged him away. pic.twitter.com/YzTsrTApQo
— Trymaine Lee (@trymainelee) March 11, 2016
Half the crowd protesters, half rabid Trump fans. Every time a protester is booted everyone screams. People freaking out with police gone.
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) March 11, 2016
STL police tackle protester at Trump rally pic.twitter.com/hZI2oh37gG
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) March 11, 2016
But apparently it was just as dangerous to be inside the rally as outside it.
Bloodied at St. Louis Trump rally. pic.twitter.com/3O65vsktvS
— Trymaine Lee (@trymainelee) March 11, 2016
A bloodied man dragged from Trump rally. pic.twitter.com/eyQxFL8Uht
— Trymaine Lee (@trymainelee) March 11, 2016
Bloodied black protester at St. Louis Trump rally: "He sucker-punched me! He sucker-punched me!" pic.twitter.com/8rznK874jJ h/t @southards_3
— Brian Ries (@moneyries) March 11, 2016
There doesn’t appear to be a video of this man’s removal from the rally, and it’s certainly possible he was not sucker punched as he claims to be. But it would not be the first time a Trump supporter punched a protester in the face. It would not even be the first time that happened this week.
This is not an isolated incident. It is what people are coming to expect from Trump rallies. And, as I wrote just this morning, it comes from the candidate himself.
Trump routinely urges his supporters to get “tough” with protesters; tells excited stories at rallies about protesters being beaten up; and tells supporters that if they’re arrested for beating up a protester, he will support them in court.
And as I said:
This is not acceptable behavior in a democracy. It should be Trump’s job to tell his supporters not to beat people up — to make sure they clear a way for police officers to escort out protesters, to refrain from joking about the “good old days.”
But it’s pretty clear, at this point, that Donald Trump cares more about not offending his followers than he does about protecting the safety of people his followers don’t like.
This is what a Donald Trump rally looks like.
