Donald Trump cancels Chicago rally after protesters, supporters clash

CHICAGO — Donald Trump, the GOP presidential front-runner, postponed his rally Friday night over security concerns after protesters and supporters clashed at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Chaos ensued after organizers announced the rally was canceled shortly after 6:30 p.m. at the UIC Pavillion. Police ejected at least a half dozen anti-Trump demonstrators, including one man who snuck on stage and approached the podium.

Chants of "Trump" and "Bernie" alike filled the arena as police dispersed the masses.

Joe Fritz, 20, who came to hear Trump speak, said a woman punched him as he stood in a crowd of protesters after the rally was canceled.

Fritz said the woman landed a blow to his chin after he questioned her for yelling epithets toward cops standing nearby and about Trump. Fritz said the woman was with a girl who was about 10.

"I told her, 'What kind of example are you setting?'" Fritz said.

Fritz said he and his friend were then surrounded by other anti-Trump protesters who screamed at them before police pulled them out of the crowd.

Still, the scuffles were brief, and some protesters said the security concerns were overstated.

"(Trump) felt us tonight and felt our power tonight," said Angelica Salazar, 30, of West Chicago, Ill. Salazar, who went to speak out against Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric, said she did not feel unsafe.

Matthew Ross, a Chicago activist, said suggestions from Trump that protesters presented a security risk don't hold up.

"Have you seen what his supporters have incited at their rallies?" said Ross, who said he had water thrown at him by Trump supporter after it was announced that the rally was canceled. " I think what he (Trump) is doing is inciting violence."

While many dispersed after the rally was canceled, hundreds of people protested outside. They chanted and cheered, as supporters screamed back "Trump! Trump! Trump!"

Trump never made it there, citing security concerns in interviews with multiple news networks. He described anti-Trump protesters, including those at previous rallies, as violent.

"I just don't want people hurt," he told MSNBC.

Trump has faced criticism about violent comments he and his supporters have made on the campaign trail. When attendees at an event in November kicked a Black Lives Matter activist, Trump said, "Maybe he should have been roughed up," according to The Washington Post. Another supporter, John McGraw, sucker-punched a protester at a rally Wednesday in North Carolina. McGraw later said, "we might have to kill him" next time the protester shows up.

When asked about violence among his supporters, Trump insisted that anti-Trump demonstrators were instigating incidents at his campaign events.

“I certainly don’t incite violence," Trump said.

“If a protester is swinging a fist at a man or a group of men, and if they end up going back," he added, "I’m not looking to do him any favors."

Tensions flared in the days leading up to the rally, as students and faculty members signed a petition to stop the presidential hopeful's event. The petition garnered more than 50,000 signatures by Friday night.

Despite the mounting criticism, Chancellor Michael D. Amiridis said in a statement the university has no legal basis in barring any candidate from renting the event space.

Attendees complained about the demonstrations that halted the event, suggesting they blocked Trump's right to free speech.

"This is ridiculous," Tom Keevers, a Trump supporter from the city's North Side, said after the cancelation was announced over the loudspeaker. "I'm a conservative. You wouldn't see conservatives shutting down a Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders rally!"

The Chicago Police Department did not have any immediate reports of arrests. Anthony Guglielmi, a department spokesman, said the Trump campaign did not consult the police department before canceling.

"They did not consult us at all," he said. "The decision was made by the campaign on its own."