Police outnumber protesters outside Trump California rally
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| ANAHEIM, Calif.
Protesters聽at a聽rally聽in Southern California聽held by Donald聽Trump聽on Wednesday carried signs saying "Stop Nazi聽Trump" and "Make America Hate Again," as a large聽police聽presence stood by a day after a聽Trump聽event in New Mexico erupted into chaos.
Police聽outnumbered the 100 demonstrators outside the convention center where聽Trump, who is the presumptive Republican nominee in the Nov. 8 presidential election, was speaking. Many were unhappy about聽Trump's views on Hispanic immigrants and ripped apart a pi帽ata resembling聽Trump聽and placed the paper mache head on top of a flagpole with a large Mexican flag.
Police聽had warned they would take "swift" action if protests at the event in Anaheim escalated. About 100聽police聽officers stood watch behind metal barricades and another 50 sheriff's deputies lined up along the convention center.
It was not until long after the聽rally聽that聽police聽were finally called in to disperse the聽protesters. A聽police聽helicopter circled overhead telling people to disperse or risk arrest.聽
Inside,聽Trump聽was disrupted by聽protesters聽as he spoke, including one who waved a Mexican flag.
"Do not hurt him,"聽Trump聽said as a man was led out of the arena. "I say that for the television cameras. Even though he is a bad person."
Trump's appearances in the U.S. West in areas with significant Hispanic populations have drawn large protests - such as Tuesday night's violence in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where rock-throwing demonstrators were arrested.聽Trump's remarks that Mexico is sending criminals and rapists to the United States, made when he launched his campaign last year, have been a lightning rod for聽protesters.
Trump's problems with Latino voters could dampen his Nov. 8 election hopes. A poll by the political research group Latino Decisions found 87 percent of registered Hispanic voters view聽Trump聽unfavorably. States like Nevada and New Mexico have growing Hispanic populations that could tip the election.
Trump's trip west came ahead of the聽California聽and New Mexico nominating contests on June 7.聽Trump聽also planned to hold several large fundraising events while in聽California. It is the first high-dollar fundraising event the New York real estate mogul has held after largely self-funding his primary campaign.
Mike McGetrick, one of two people carrying "Latinos for聽Trump" signs at the Anaheim聽rally, said he is part of a group called America First Latinos, whose website describes its members as believing in "the rule of law, hard work and the American Dream." He said his neighborhood in nearby Orange is "being overrun" by undocumented immigrants.
"There are so many of them, and they're everywhere," said McGetrick, 62, a retired city worker. "I can tell an illegal from a regular person just like that."
Trump聽supporters have been hopeful that his likely opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, will be dogged by her own problems to offset his difficulty with some populations. On Wednesday, Clinton faced renewed criticism about her use of a private email server for government business while secretary of state after a report by the State Department's inspector general said she had violated agency policies.聽
Trump聽only briefly addressed the report in his appearance in Anaheim.聽
"Not good," he said. "Inspector general's report, not good."
"颁搁滨惭滨狈础尝厂!"听
In a Twitter post on Wednesday,聽Trump聽called the聽protesters聽in Albuquerque "thugs who were flying the Mexican flag."
"The聽rally聽inside was big and beautiful, but outside, criminals!" he said.
Trump聽headed next to Anaheim, which is about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Los Angeles. At the city's 7,500-seat convention center, authorities boosted staffing levels, deployed officers on motorcycles to control traffic and urged attendees to be on their best behavior, Anaheim聽Police聽Sergeant Daron Wyatt said.
"We respect the rights of everyone to protest and get their word out," Wyatt said, adding they must do so "peacefully and within the confines of the law."
City officials said they were prepared for聽Trump's appearance.
Anaheim聽Police聽Chief Raul Quezada said, "Everyone has the right to participate without fear of violence or disorder and we are prepared to take swift and decisive enforcement action should it become necessary."
On Tuesday night, hundreds of聽protesters聽tried to swarm the convention center in Albuquerque where聽Trump聽spoke, knocking down barricades, waving Mexican flags and hurling rocks and bottles at聽police聽officers in riot gear.聽Police聽responded with smoke bombs and pepper spray.
Police聽said they made arrests both outside and inside the聽rally, whereprotesters聽continually interrupted聽Trump's speech. The聽police聽department's Twitter feed said officers were treated for injuries caused by thrown rocks.