2016 Donald Trump Chicago rally protest

Last updated

2016 Donald Trump Chicago rally protest
Part of the protests against Donald Trump
Trump protest Chicago March 11, 2016.jpg
DateMarch 11, 2016
Location
41°52′29″N87°39′22″W / 41.87472°N 87.65611°W / 41.87472; -87.65611
Caused by Donald Trump visit
Methods [1]
Resulted inDonald Trump rally canceled
Parties
Anti-Trump protesters [1]
Donald Trump supporters
Number
2,500+ [2]
6,000 [2]
Casualties
Injuries4+ [3]
Arrested5 (including a CBS News reporter) [3]

On March 11, 2016, the Donald Trump presidential campaign canceled a planned rally at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), in Chicago, Illinois, citing "growing safety concerns" due to the presence of thousands of protesters inside and outside his rally. [4] [5]

Contents

Thousands of anti-Trump demonstrators responding to civic leaders' and social media calls to shut the rally down had gathered outside the arena, and several hundred more filled seating areas within the UIC Pavilion, where the rally was to take place. When the Trump campaign announced that the rally would not take place, there was a great deal of shouting and a few small scuffles between Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters.

Prelude

Plans to protest the Trump rally were launched a week in advance by a variety of community and student groups who largely organized via social media. Some 43,000 undergraduate and graduate students had signed a petition asking UIC to cancel the rally by March 6. [6] That same day, Latino leaders in the city, led by Democratic U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrez of Chicago, issued a call to their constituents to join them in a protest outside the UIC Pavilion, where the rally was to take place. [7] One of many student-based protests was first proposed by 20-year-old Chicago political activist and Bernie Sanders supporter Ja'Mal Green, who had posted to Facebook a week urging others to "get your tickets to this. We're all going in!!!! #SHUTITDOWN." [8] Green told reporters that the plan was for protestors to make noise when Trump appeared, "and then rush the stage." [9] While "activist groups did try to disrupt the event, ... many protesters said that they learned of the demonstrations on social media and went of their own accord." [10]

MoveOn.org confirmed that it helped promote the protest and paid for printing protest signs and a banner. [8] [11] Among those who took part in organizing the protest included members of the UIC faculty, People for Bernie, the Fearless Undocumented Alliance, Black Lives Matter, Assata's Daughters, BYP100, College Students for Bernie, and Showing Up for Racial Justice, with "black, Latino and Muslim young people" at the "core" of the crowds of protesters. [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]

Incident

Protesters outside the rally chant "Shut it down"
Video of Trump rally at UIC Pavilion in Chicago on March 11, 2016, immediately after news of Trump's cancellation of attendance of the event. Many protesters cheer "Bernie!" to show their support for Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders.
Voice of America video of the clashes at the UIC Pavilion

The protests had begun 24 hours prior to the event with a vigil outside UIC Pavilion. The vigil lasted until the rally was scheduled to begin. [17]

Thirty minutes after the rally was scheduled to begin, a representative of the Trump campaign came on stage and announced that the rally was postponed. The crowd immediately cheered and chanted "We dumped Trump!" and "We shut it down!" [13] As Trump supporters shouted "We want Trump!", arguments, several fistfights, [1] and small scuffles [18] broke out between the groups. [13] Two police officers and at least two civilians were injured during the protests. Five people were arrested, including Sopan Deb, a CBS News reporter who was covering Trump's campaign. [1] Protesters said that they were protesting against racism and Trump's policies. [19] Some of the demonstrators were also members of the group Black Lives Matter. [19] [20] [21] A smaller number of protesters were seen carrying flags representing various groups and countries, including Mexico. [22] [23]

John Escalante, the interim superintendent of the Chicago Police Department (CPD), said about 300 officers were on hand for crowd control. [1] A CPD spokesman said the department had never told the Trump campaign that there was a security threat, and added that the department had sufficient manpower on the scene to handle any situation. [24]

The Trump campaign postponed the rally. The CPD and other law-enforcement authorities "were not consulted and had no role in canceling the event." [18] Trump initially claimed he had conferred with Chicago Police but later said that he made the decision himself: "I didn't want to see people get hurt [so] I decided to postpone the rally." [25] [26] [27] [28] [29]

Arrests

Arrest being made at the protest Paddy Wagon (25593565882).jpg
Arrest being made at the protest

Four individuals were arrested and charged in the incident. Two were "charged with felony aggravated battery to a police officer and resisting arrest", one was "charged with two misdemeanor counts of resisting and obstructing a peace officer", and the fourth "was charged with one misdemeanor count of resisting and obstructing a peace officer". [30] Sopan Deb, a CBS reporter covering the Trump campaign, was one of those arrested outside the rally. He was charged with resisting arrest; [31] Chicago police ultimately dropped the charges. [32]

Reactions and aftermath

Voice of America video about Trump and Sanders' responses to the postponed Chicago rally
Protesters celebrate event cancellation outside of event
Attendees exit Harrison Street east after rally was canceled. Video from eyewitness protester.

After the event was postponed, Green described the cancellation of the event as a "win," saying that "our whole purpose was to shut it down... we had to show him that our voice in civil rights was greater than his voice. The minority became the majority today." [9] Mayor Rahm Emanuel praised the Chicago Police Department's work to restore order. [1]

Trump blamed Sanders for the clashes in Chicago, insisting that the protesters were "Bernie's crowd" and that a protester who charged the stage at an event in Dayton, Ohio, the following day was a "Bernie person", calling on Sanders to "get your people in line". [11] [33] Sanders subsequently denounced Trump as a "pathological liar" who leads a "vicious movement", and said that "while I appreciate that we had supporters at Trump's rally in Chicago, our campaign did not organize the protests." Sanders blamed Trump for propagating "birther" conspiracy theories and for promoting "hatred and division against Latinos, Muslims, women and people with disabilities". [33]

Presidential candidates

Republican

Rivals for the Republican presidential nomination criticized Trump. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said, "When you have a campaign that affirmatively encourages violence, you create an environment that only encourages that sort of nasty discourse." [34] John Kasich, Governor of Ohio, issued a statement saying, "Tonight, the seeds of division that Donald Trump has been sowing this whole campaign finally bore fruit, and it was ugly." [1] Senator Marco Rubio of Florida attributed blame for the events at various parties, including the protesters, the media, and the Democratic Party, but "reserved his harshest words" for Trump, condemning him for inciting supporters who have punched and beaten demonstrators and likening him to "Third World strongmen". [35]

Democratic

Clinton, one of two Democratic presidential candidates in the 2016 election, said in a statement that the Trump campaign's "divisive rhetoric" was of "grave concern" and said, "We all have our differences, and we know many people across the country feel angry. We need to address that anger together." [36] The morning after the incident, Clinton said, "The ugly, divisive rhetoric we are hearing from Donald Trump and the encouragement of violence and aggression is wrong, and it's dangerous. If you play with matches, you're going to start a fire you can't control. That's not leadership. That's political arson." [37] Bernie Sanders, the other Democratic candidate, tweeted: "We will continue to bring people together. We will not allow the Donald Trumps of the world to divide us up." [38]

Media

Conservative media described protest actions as an infringement on Trump's freedom of speech. National Review editor Rich Lowry called the protest an indefensible "mob action" and wrote that "the spectacle ... will probably only help" Trump, since he "thrives on polarization and has sought to turn up the temperature of his rallies with his notorious suggestions that protesters should get roughed up." Fox News host Jeanine Pirro characterized the protesters as "abject anarchists" who had infringed upon Trump's right to free speech by "responding to activist calls at No. SHUTITDOWN." [39] [40]

Other media outlets stated that such protest actions were predictable due to Trump's rhetoric. Rachel Maddow of MSNBC said that Trump's violent rhetoric at campaign rallies resulted in the escalation of tensions: "Anybody who tells you that there is no connection between the behavior of the mob at these events and the behavior of the man at the podium leading the mob at these events is not actually watching what he's been saying from the podium." [41] Jelani Cobb wrote in The New Yorker that "the image of protesters clashing with Trump supporters in Chicago ... is the logical culmination of what we've seen throughout his Presidential campaign" as "the idea of fighting to take the country back" promoted by Trump's campaign "went from figurative to literal". [42]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernie Sanders</span> American politician and activist (born 1941)

Bernard Sanders is an American politician and activist who is the senior United States senator from Vermont. Sanders is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history, but maintains a close relationship with the Democratic Party, having caucused with House and Senate Democrats for most of his congressional career and sought the party's presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Credit Union 1 Arena</span> Arena in Chicago, United States

Credit Union 1 Arena is a multi-purpose arena located at 525 S. Racine Avenue on the Near West Side in Chicago, Illinois. It opened in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Democratic National Convention</span> American political event

The 2016 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention, held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 25 to 28, 2016. The convention gathered delegates of the Democratic Party, the majority of them elected through a preceding series of primaries and caucuses, to nominate a candidate for president and vice president in the 2016 United States presidential election. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was chosen as the party's nominee for president by a 54% majority of delegates present at the convention roll call securing it over primary rival Senator Bernie Sanders, who received 46% of votes from delegates, and becoming the first female candidate to be formally nominated for president by a major political party in the United States. Her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine from Virginia, was confirmed by delegates as the party's nominee for vice president by acclamation.

In the 2016 presidential campaign, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders sought the Democratic Party's nomination in a field of six major candidates and was the runner up with 46% of the pledged delegates behind former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who won the contest with 54%. Sanders, the junior United States senator and former Representative from Vermont, began with an informal announcement on April 30, 2015, and a formal announcement that he planned to seek the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States on May 26, 2015, in Burlington, Vermont. Sanders had been considered a potential candidate for president since at least September 2014. Though he had previously run as an independent, he routinely caucused with the Democratic Party, as many of his views align with Democrats. Running as a Democrat made it easier to participate in debates and get his name on state ballots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign</span> 2016 presidential campaign

The 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump was formally launched on June 16, 2015, at Trump Tower in New York City. Trump was the Republican nominee for President of the United States in the 2016 election, having won the most state primaries, caucuses, and delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. He chose Mike Pence, the sitting governor of Indiana, as his vice presidential running mate. On November 8, 2016, Trump and Pence were elected president and vice president of the United States. Trump's populist positions in opposition to illegal immigration and various trade agreements, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, earned him support especially among voters who were male, white, blue-collar, working class, and those without college degrees. Many voters in the Rust Belt, who gave Trump the electoral votes needed to win the presidency, switched from supporting Bernie Sanders to Trump after Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in Ohio</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in Ohio was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Ohio voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Ohio had 18 electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College Students for Bernie</span> Supporters of Bernie Sanders

College Students for Bernie (CSFB) was a grassroots organization dedicated to increase young voter participation, enhance progressive politics, and support Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential bid. At the organization's peak during the 2016 United States presidential election, there were over 200 chapters in universities across the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protests against Donald Trump</span>

Protests against Donald Trump have occurred in the United States and internationally since his entry into the 2016 presidential campaign. Protests have expressed opposition to Trump's campaign rhetoric, his electoral win, his first inauguration, his alleged history of sexual misconduct and various presidential actions, most notably his travel ban in 2017 and aggressive family separation policy in 2018. Some protests have taken the form of walk-outs, business closures, and petitions as well as rallies, demonstrations, and marches. While most protests have been peaceful, actionable conduct such as vandalism and assaults on Trump supporters has occurred. Some protesters have been criminally charged with rioting. The largest organized protest against Trump was the day after his inauguration; millions protested on January 21, 2017, during the Women's March, with each individual city's protest taken into consideration, makes it the largest single-day protest in the history of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Ohio Democratic presidential primary</span>

The 2016 Ohio Democratic presidential primary took place on March 15 in the U.S. state of Ohio as one of the Democratic Party's primaries prior to the 2016 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of protests against Donald Trump</span>

Numerous protests in opposition to Donald Trump took place during his candidacy then his presidency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Berkeley protests</span> Political protests in Berkeley, California

The 2017 Berkeley protests were a series of protests and clashes between organized groups that occurred in the city of Berkeley, California, in the vicinity of the University of California campus. Violence occurred predominantly between protesters opposed to then-President Donald Trump, including activists such as antifa groups and socialists; and pro-Trump groups such as Republicans, members of the alt-lite and alt-right, neo-Nazis, and white nationalists. The majority of the participants were peaceful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign</span> American political campaign

Donald Trump, a member of the Republican Party, sought re-election in the 2020 United States presidential election. He was inaugurated as president of the United States on January 20, 2017, and filed for re-election with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on the same day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patriot Prayer</span> American far-right political group

Patriot Prayer is an American far-right group founded by Joey Gibson in 2016 and based in Vancouver, Washington, a suburban city in the Portland metropolitan area. Since 2016, the group has organized several dozen pro-gun, pro-Trump rallies held in cities in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. Often met with large numbers of counter-protesters, attendees have repeatedly clashed with left-wing groups in the Portland area. Far-right groups, such as the Proud Boys, have attended the rallies organized by Patriot Prayer, as well as white nationalists, sparking controversy and violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unite the Right 2</span> 2018 white supremacist rally in Washington, D.C.

The "Unite the Right 2" rally was a white supremacist rally that occurred on August 12, 2018, at Lafayette Square near the White House in Washington, D.C., United States. It was organized by Jason Kessler to mark the first anniversary of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which ended in deadly violence and attracted both national and international attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Trump baby balloon</span> Inflatable caricature mocking the former U.S. president

During an official visit to the United Kingdom by former U.S. President Donald Trump, an inflatable caricature of Trump was flown in protest of him, his visit, his history of alleged sexual misconduct, and his policies. The balloon depicts Trump as an angry orange baby holding a smartphone.

The 2020 presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders was an election campaign from the junior United States senator from Vermont. It began with Sanders's formal announcement on February 19, 2019. The announcement followed widespread speculation that he would run again after running unsuccessfully in the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media coverage of Bernie Sanders</span>

The media coverage of Bernie Sanders, a U.S. Senator from Vermont, became a subject of discussion during his unsuccessful 2016 and 2020 presidential runs. His campaigns, some independent observers, as well as some media sources have said that the mainstream media in the United States is biased against Sanders. Others say that coverage is unbiased or biased in his favor. The allegations of bias primarily concern the coverage of his presidential campaigns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 United States election protests</span>

Protests began in multiple cities in the United States following the 2020 United States presidential election between then-President Donald Trump and Democratic Party challenger Vice President Joe Biden, held on November 3, 2020. Biden won the election, receiving 81.3 million votes (51.3%) to Trump's 74.2 million (46.9%) and winning the Electoral College by 306 to 232. Biden's victory became clear on November 7, after the ballots had been tabulated. The Electoral College voted on December 14, in accordance with law, formalizing Biden's victory.

The following is a timeline of major events leading up and during the 2020 United States presidential election, the 59th quadrennial United States presidential election, from January to October 2020. For previous events, see Timeline of the 2020 United States presidential election (2017–2019). For subsequent events, see Timeline of the 2020 United States presidential election

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Diamond, Jeremy; Schleifer, Theodore. "Trump supporters, protesters clash after Chicago rally postponed". CNN . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  2. 1 2 O'Brien, Keith (March 13, 2016). "Inside the Protest That Stopped the Trump Rally". Politico . Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Bellware, Kim (March 12, 2016). "Donald Trump Rally In Chicago Canceled After Protesters Turn Out In Droves". HuffPost. Huffington Post . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  4. "STATEMENT REGARDING TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHICAGO RALLY POSTPONEMENT". Donald J Trump for President. March 11, 2016. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  5. Johnson, Jenna; Berman, Mark (March 12, 2016). "Post Politics Skirmishes erupt after Trump cancels Chicago rally over security concerns". The Washington Post . Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  6. Kim, Katie (March 7, 2016). "Student Petition Aims to Cancel Trump Rally in Chicago, Protests Planned". NBC News . Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  7. Bowean, Lolly (March 6, 2016). "In Chicago, Trump to face protest by Latino leaders". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  8. 1 2 Seitz-Wald, Alex (March 12, 2016). "How Bernie Sanders Supporters Shut Down Donald Trump's Rally in Chicago". MSNBC . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  9. 1 2 Atwood, Kylie (March 12, 2016). "Trump protest organizer calls raucous night a "win"". CBS News . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  10. Barbaro, Michael; Parker, Ashley; Gabriel, Trip (March 13, 2016). "Donald Trump's Heated Words Were Destined to Stir Violence, Opponents Say". The New York Times . Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  11. 1 2 Scott, Eugene; Johns, Joe (March 12, 2016). "Sanders: Don't blame my supporters for violence at Trump rally". CNN. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  12. Decker, Kathleen (March 13, 2016). "For Donald Trump, protests create a short-term benefit and a long-term threat". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 Flitter, Emily; Ortiz, Fiona (March 11, 2016). "Trump's Chicago rally called off for safety reasons amid chaos". Reuters. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  14. Linthicum, Kate (March 12, 2016). "How black, Latino and Muslim college students organized to stop Trump's rally in Chicago". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  15. Cassidy, John (March 13, 2016). "The Chicago Anti-Trump Protest Was Only the Beginning". The New Yorker . Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  16. Guarino, Mark (March 12, 2016). "In Chicago, an organized and organic disruption of Trump". The Washington Post . Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  17. Lowe, Mike (March 11, 2016). "24-hour vigil precedes protest at Donald Trump rally in Chicago". WGNTV. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  18. 1 2 Bosman, Julie; Davey, Monica (March 11, 2016). "Donald Trump's Rally in Chicago Canceled After Violent Scuffles" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  19. 1 2 Diamond, Jeremy; Schleifer, Theodore (March 11, 2016). "Trump supporters, protesters clash after Chicago rally postponed". CNN . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  20. Schwartz, Ian (March 11, 2016). "Trump: 'You Can Not Have A Rally In A Major City Anymore Without Violence'". Real Clear Politics . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  21. Beckett, Lois (March 12, 2016). "Black Lives Matter v All Lives Matter: political discourse at a Donald Trump rally - video". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  22. "Trump calls off Chicago rally following violent clashes". BBC News . March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  23. Glawe, Gideon Resnick-Justin (March 12, 2016). "Protesters Scare Trump Out of Chicago". The Daily Beast . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  24. "Chicago Police Deny Advising Trump to Cancel Event". Talking Points Memo. Associated Press. March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  25. "Trump cancels Chicago rally, says he didn't want to see anyone hurt". Fox News. March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  26. Vitali, Ali; Jamieson, Alastair; Helsel, Phil (March 11, 2016). "Trump Rally in Chicago Postponed After Clashes". NBC News . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  27. Stracqualursi, Veronica; Candea, Ben (March 11, 2016). "Trump Rally Postponed in Chicago Amid Safety Concerns". ABC News . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  28. Johnson, Jenna; Rucker, Philip (March 11, 2016). "Trump cancels Chicago rally over security concerns" . The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  29. "Trump cancels Chicago rally, says he didn't want to see anyone hurt". Fox News. March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  30. Rhodes, Wawn (March 13, 2016). "4 charged in clashes after canceled Trump rally at UIC". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  31. Calderon, Michael (March 13, 2016). "CBS News Reporter Sopan Deb Arrested While Covering Donald Trump Rally". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  32. Diamond, Jeremy (March 17, 2016). "Police: Charges dropped against CBS reporter". CNN . Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  33. 1 2 Yuhas, Alan (March 12, 2016). "Sanders calls Trump 'pathological liar' as Chicago rally backlash grows". The Guardian . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  34. Ruiz, Joe (March 12, 2016). "Presidential Candidates React To Violence At Donald Trump's Chicago Rally". NPR . Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  35. Peters, Jeremy W. (March 12, 2016). "Marco Rubio, Nearing Reckoning in Florida Primary, Likens Donald Trump to 'Third-World Strongmen'". The New York Times . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  36. Marans, Daniel (March 12, 2016). "Sanders Unloads On 'Pathological Liar' Trump". Huffington Post . Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  37. Chozick, Amy (March 12, 2016). "Hillary Clinton on Trump Rallies: 'That's Political Arson'". The New York Times . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  38. Madhani, Aamer; Stanglin, Doug (March 12, 2016). "Trump blames 'thugs' for canceling Chicago rally". USA Today . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  39. Pirro, Jeanine (March 12, 2016). "Judge Jeanine: Words are not an excuse to become violent". Fox News . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  40. Lowry, Rich (March 11, 2016). "Chicago 2016". National Review . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  41. Kreps, Daniel (March 12, 2016). "Rachel Maddow: Donald Trump's Violent Rhetoric Sparked Chicago Protest". Rolling Stone . Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  42. Cobb, Jelani (March 12, 2016). "Donald Trump, Chicago, and the Lessons of 1968". The New Yorker . Retrieved March 12, 2016.