Trump Supporters & Protestors Clash At Dallas Rally
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Protestors and supporters of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Thursday squared off in a war of words outside of his Dallas rally. Some hecklers were even hidden among the crowd inside of the Gilley's Dallas ballroom, where Trump spoke during an evening event.
Trump even called one of the hecklers out as they were removed. "Go ahead," he said. "Go home to mommy."
It was a hot night and tempers flared as supporters and protestors came nose-to-nose and verbal exchanges got intense.
A total of seven people were removed from the rally while one person was arrested for disorderly conduct. Trump's supporters on the inside, meanwhile, had no idea what was happening on the outside. A huge crowd gathered in the streets, clashing with mounted police officers and marching against Trump.
The confrontations were heated, but not violent. Some protestors, however, did accuse authorities of being too heavy-handed during the event. "It was crazy. The cops were trying to divide us," explained Adriana Torres. "We were all one and the horses just got in between us."
Officers formed a human chain to bulldoze through the crowd and keep things under control. "I think the way DPD handled it was overboard," another protestor said. "There were cops for six blocks in every direction. They pushed a lot of civil protestors away, all the way to the sidewalk, and then blocked them. I think it was complete martial law."
No police officers were injured during the event. Chief David Brown with the Dallas Police Department said that he was proud of the work that his officers did on Thursday night. The protestors dispersed after about an hour.
For those on the inside, the rally seemed to be an overall enjoyable experience. Trump's supporters left saying that they had "a great time." Thursday marked one year since the Republican candidate launched his presidential campaign.
Trump's biggest applause came when he spoke on gun control. "I'm going to save your Second Amendment, folks. I'm going to save your Second Amendment, and Hillary wants to abolish the Second Amendment -- remember that." Trump added that he expects the general election against likely rival Hillary Clinton in November to be more difficult than the state primaries, with a dishonest press to blame. "I didn't love the press during the primaries, but now it's like, brutal."
It also did not take long for Trump supporters to start chanting about his signature issue, a border wall. "Build the wall. Build the wall. We'll build it, folks. We're going to have the wall," he said.
Trump even joked about a protestor he spotted wearing a cowboy hat. "The protestor gave me an idea. I'll put 'Make America Great Again' on a cowboy hat," he said. "Boy, that's going to sell well in Dallas."
Trump departed from Dallas Love Field on Friday for a private fundraiser in San Antonio and another rally in Houston. Police cars and motorcycles escorted the Republican candidate to the airport, blocking off roads in the process. And with a final wave just before boarding his jet, Trump left North Texas and headed south.
