Protesters burn 'Make America Great Again' hat at Trump rally
Protesters and supporters clashed at an anti-Donald Trump rally Friday in San Diego, where protesters burned a "Make America Great Again" hat and at least three people were arrested, police said.
While the GOP frontrunner addressed supporters inside the San Diego Convention Center, about 1,000 people gathered outside with Mexican flags, signs and Trump piñatas. In addition to burning one of Trump's trademark "Make America Great Again" caps, protesters also decapitated a Trump piñata, carried "Fuck Trump" signs and chanted "Fuck Donald Trump!"
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Many of the protesters in San Diego, a heavily Latino city that sits just 20 miles from the Mexican border, took issue with Trump's proposal to build a wall along the border and deport illegal immigrants.
The rally was initially declared peaceful but eventually sparked moments of violence after protesters threw objects at police and attempted to climb over a barricade. Several protesters were beaten back by San Diego Police officers armed with nightsticks, who declared the rally an "unlawful assembly" and ordered the crowd to disperse. Police also deployed pepper spray to break up the crowd.
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Some demonstrators tried to keep things civil, chanting while sitting on the ground while at least one offered free hugs as he tried to separate Trump protesters and supporters.
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The rally was trending on Twitter Friday afternoon, with both supporters and anti-Trump protesters sharing photos and videos from the scene using the hashtag #SDTrumpRally.
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The San Diego protest was not atypical of the scenes that have seemed to follow the GOP frontrunner wherever he goes. Last month, about 20 people were arrested at a Costa Mesa, California campaign stop, while earlier this week protesters outside a Trump event in Albuquerque, New Mexico lit fires and threw rocks at the convention center where the candidate was speaking.
Shortly before addressing supporters in San Diego, Trump stated he would not participate in a one-on-one debate against Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who currently trails Hillary Clinton, saying it would be "easy" but "inappropriate" to debate anyone other than the Democratic nominee. Sanders supporters started tweeting the hashtag #ChickenTrump in response, which also trended Friday night.
"I will wait to debate the first place finisher in the Democratic Party, probably Crooked Hillary Clinton," Trump said in a statement.
California, the most populous state in the nation, will hold its primary election June 7.
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Olivia Niland is an Editorial News Intern at Mashable in Los Angeles and a senior digital journalism major at the University of Southern California. She has previously interned with NBC Los Angeles, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today College, and when she isn't working can usually be found concert-going, golfing and exploring.
