On Friday, Donald Trump appeared at an NYC rally full of Pennsylvanian supporters. The money raised goes to Senator Pat Toomey, although Toomey was not in attendance at the rally. The Commonwealth Club held the event and promised a photo op with “Demagogue Donald” for $2,500. Tickets for the event were a bit cheaper ($1,000). Outside the Plaza hotel venue, Trump was greeted by hundreds of protesters (and one lonely supporter holding pro-Trump signs), who were anticipated in advance, but the fallout was worse than expected.
Outside the Plaza, a crowd assembled outside with signs reading “refugees welcome” and “make America love again.” They also entered the hotel with signs that protested Islamophobia.
NYC: Anti-Trump protesters across street from Plaza Hotel where Trump is speaking! #DumpTrump via @AshAgony pic.twitter.com/q5cHdyqgmS
— Anonymous (@GroupAnon) December 11, 2015
Protesters penetrate Trump speech at Plaza Hotel. Security grabbed my phone when I took photo but I got it back. pic.twitter.com/sa1yPyY639
— Janet Babin (@JanetJennababin) December 11, 2015
This video, taken by Politico’s Michael Schwab, shows two protesters being forcibly ejected from the premises. It’s not clear whether the ejectors were hotel staff, event security, or attendees, but a woman was thrown to the floor and may have slammed her head against a door in the process.
Protesters forcefully removed from @realDonaldTrump event at Plaza Hotel. Via @schreckreports https://t.co/3zOYyN1zc3
— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) December 11, 2015
This isn’t the first time protesters met violence at a Trump rally. In November, Trump confronted a Black Lives Matter protester during an Alabama rally. After Trump shouted “get him out of here,” rally attendees pushed the man to the ground where they kicked and punched him. Trump later expressed approval for his followers’ actions by saying, “Maybe he should have been roughed up, because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing.”
(Via Huffington Post & Raw Story)