Police fire tear gas at anti-Trump protesters after POTUS holds Phoenix rally
Phoenix, Arizona police have deployed tear gas against a group of protesters who gathered outside the venue for President Donald Trump’s rally. Some of the protesters reportedly threw objects at police.
READ MORE: Trump protesters & supporters converge ahead of Phoenix rally
Hundreds of protesters were reportedly dispersed at the scene outside the downtown Phoenix Convention Center, where Trump spoke to thousands of supporters earlier.
Ruptly news agency footage shows people shouting and running away from tear gas deployed by police.
“People in the crowd have begun throwing rocks and bottles at police. They also dispersed some gas in the area,” Phoenix Police Department spokesman Sergeant Jonathan Howard said, as quoted by Reuters.
“Police have responded with pepper balls and OC [oleoresin capsicum] spray in an attempt to disperse the crowd and stop the assaults,” Howard added.
After police dispersed non-complying protesters, a small crowd with anti-Trump banners continued to demonstrate next to the police cordon. However, police in riot gear later approached the chanting protesters and pushed them away from the scene.
There were some altercations as the thousands of Trump supporters were leaving the venue. One video shows several Trump supporters trying to leave the area in a vehicle being attacked by rioters. One man in the car was punched on the head while a female teenager sits behind him.
Trump supporters in Phoenix blocked from leaving rally before being assaulted by left-wing rioterspic.twitter.com/GxnrI2FZYL
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 23, 2017
Police just fired teargas canisters on the north side of the Phoenix convention center pic.twitter.com/3L9Bzcj6bE
— Bob Ortega (@Bob_Ortega) August 23, 2017
Tear gas. Between 2nd and 3rd. #PhoenixRally#Phoenix#Trumppic.twitter.com/S6LakegHMS
— Corey Archuleta (@CoreyArch) August 23, 2017
He fought the law and the law won. #PhoenixRallypic.twitter.com/8PdoxKBIlw
— Adam Jay (@amjay13) August 23, 2017
Tear gas was dispersed in #downtown#phoenix after the #TrumpRallyPhoenix ended. pic.twitter.com/mZm9UzBK9p
— Halie Cook (@halie_cook) August 23, 2017
On Tuesday evening, around 19,000 people attended Trump’s campaign-style rally at the downtown Phoenix Convention Center.
The US leader lambasted the mainstream media for what he believes to be unfair coverage of his statements on the violence in Charlottesville, which left one person dead and 19 people injured.
Outside the convention center, hundreds of anti-Trump protesters gathered.
Views from the roof of the parking lot across from Phoenix convention center. People packed on every floor. #trumprally protest pic.twitter.com/pHMc1rbAik
— Saba Hamedy (@saba_h) August 23, 2017
