News / Society

Clashes erupt at Trump rally in San Diego, dozen arrested

Saturday, 28 May 2016 4:41 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 28 May 2016 4:44 AM ]

Protesters and supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump fight during a rally outside Trump's event in San Diego, California, on May 27, 2016. ©AFP

Protesters and supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have clashed in San Diego, California outside the venue of a rally by the real-estate magnate.

Over 1,000 anti-Trump protesters gathered on Friday outside the San Diego Convention Center, where the presumptive GOP nominee was giving a speech to his supporters.

Protesters were carrying US and Mexican flags and holding signs criticizing Trump’s remarks about Mexican migrants.

Clashes erupted as Trump’s supporters flooded into the street after the event at the center ended. Protesters threw plastic bottles and rocks at one another and exchanged shouted epithets.

Police ordered the crowd to disperse, saying the gathering was unlawful. People, however, refused to leave the area even hours after the event was over.

A number of police officers in riot gear and with batons stood between the two sides and moved in to force protesters to leave the area around the center.

Police said they arrested 12 people after clashes broke out.

One Trump supporter was seen using pepper spray against a protester.

Protesters and supporters of Donald Trump clash during a rally outside Trump's event in San Diego, California, on May 27, 2016. ©AFP

“Speak English,” Trump supporters yelled at some Latino protesters who were chanting slogans in Spanish language.

Trump supporters shouted “Build that wall” during the Friday clashes, while anti-Trump protesters chanted slogans against his immigration policy.

Police tackled a protester after he refused to heed police calls to leave the area. He was later handcuffed and dragged away.

San Diego is a city on US-Mexico border and is mainly viewed as a binational city because a third of its population is Latino and around 300,000 people cross the border legally every day for work.

Trump’s rhetoric against immigrants, Muslims and women has prompted widespread outrage across the US.

He has called for the building of a towering wall along the US-Mexico border to keep illegal immigrants out and deporting the 11 million undocumented immigrants who live in the US.

Activists have criticized his plan as being cruel and impossible to implement.

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