Chicago TribuneUpdated 11:15 p.m. EST: Protests continued after the event, with demonstrators taking to the streets. The police arrived and tried to disperse the crowd with mixed success.
Police advancing forcefully. #ByeAnitapic.twitter.com/z7e4Ju1q4I
— Kelly Hayes (@MsKellyMHayes) March 12, 2016
Video appeared to show a police officer suffering an injury, although it's unclear how the injury was sustained.
Video of officer apparently injured at the proteststonight in Chicago https://t.co/NngQsu0xCF
— Jim Dalrymple II (@JimDalrympleII) March 12, 2016
The police released the following statement to Buzzfeed News reporter Jim Dalrymple II, though they did not comment on any injuries or arrests.
Statement from the Chicago PD on tonight's protests. (I asked about arrests/injuries, but no luck getting that info) pic.twitter.com/J8JS8rWH80
— Jim Dalrymple II (@JimDalrympleII) March 12, 2016
Though Trump's camp says they cancelled the event out of safety concerns, the Chicago PD denies that there was an issue. Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Associated Press that they had adequate officers on hand. Guglielmi also says that there was no recommendation by the Chicago or university police that Trump should cancel the event. He says Trump never arrived at the arena.
Original story, published at 9 p.m. EST, follows.
GOP frontrunner Donald Trump called off a planned rally in Chicago today after protesters flooded the University of Illinois at Chicago arena in which it was supposed to take place.
Dozens of UIC students, faculty, and staff asked the school not to host the rally, according to the AP.
The scene quickly grew out of the organizers' control. Opposing groups chanted at each other. One man was able to get behind the podium where he ripped up a campaign sign before he could be taken away. Trump never showed his face inside the rally, telling MSNBC in a telephone interview that “we did the right thing” in cancelling the event because he didn’t “want to see people get hurt.” Trump, in the past, has encouraged violence against protesters.
On February 1, Trump was warned by security that an individual could have brought tomatoes to an event in Iowa. Addressing the crowd, Trump said, "If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them...Just knock the hell out of them. I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees."
"It's anger in the country," he told MSNBC tonight. "I don't think it's directed at me. Just what's been going on for years."
Protesters chanted “We’re gonna be alright,” the chorus to Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,” after the news broke that the rally would not be taking place.
#TrumpRally protesters chant "We gonna be alright" after announcement of a Trump no-show. pic.twitter.com/FXce08oWzI
— Chicago Reader (@Chicago_Reader) March 12, 2016
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