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By Stephanie Morse and Kara Carlson
A night that began with peaceful protests against President Donald Trump’s downtown rally ended with tear gas and riot police Tuesday outside the Phoenix Convention Center.
Protesters started gathering outside the convention center in the afternoon. The crowd continued to thicken throughout the evening as the rally began and Trump took the stage. Downtown Devil was denied press credentials to be inside for President Trump’s speech.
Despite some yelling across barricades and small skirmishes, the event remained largely peaceful until after the rally ended. As Trump supporters started exiting the convention center the protests intensified. Flash bangs and tear gas shortly followed.
“I heard people yelling and I looked over and saw someone coming out of the convention center and then I saw one water bottle fly through the air and hit the wall,” protester Mike Taft said. “It didn’t hit any cops or anything but it was thrown over them and kind of in between them.”
Reports of rocks being thrown at police then caused the Phoenix Police Department to use tear gas and pepper spray pods to disperse the crowd, which had already thinned by that time.
“There was nobody yelling or anything or maybe a couple people in one area,” Taft said. “Then I saw four or five things fly through the air and saw something fall on the ground next to me and I saw the smoke come up from it. I covered my face and tried not to breathe.”
(Nicholas Serpa/DD)
The possibility of a pardon for former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio drew a large contingency of protesters. Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt of court in July and awaits sentencing Oct. 5. Trump considered pardoning Arpaio, but did not do so at the rally, instead implying Arpaio will be “just fine.”
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During and before the rally protesters shouted “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA” and “Nazis go home” as well as several other chants at Trump supporters from behind police barricades near Second and Monroe streets. Many on both sides also brought signs showing their support or disapproval of the Trump presidency.
“He needs to see that what he’s doing isn’t right,” protester Beth Sandig said. “We’re taking a huge step backwards with his presidency. I don’t think we realized just how good we had it with Obama.”
Sandig said she was also happy to see such a large crowd of protesters and hopes the size of the protests would send a message that many oppose Trump’s rhetoric and policies.
“I just feel like we really need to show our numbers,” Sandig said. “There’s strength in numbers and I don’t want us to continue to look like such a backward state.”
Duncan Storm, a Republican protester from Texas, said Trump’s views stood apart from his party’s agenda.
“The sad thing is, this isn’t Republican,” Storm said. “This is fascism. It’s kind of sad.”
The president’s supporters, sporting red “Make America Great Again” caps and Trump T-shirts, also congregated outside the convention center.
“I’m just coming out and supporting our president, and supporting God and country and things that are good,” Stephanie Stocker said. “Things that will unite the country, not things that these groups are doing.”
The protest held a variety of people of many backgrounds including immigrants, families, teachers and nuns.
“I think it’s just really important to speak out on issues that you think are important,” protester and Canadian immigrant Paula Crossman said. “When you let stuff like this slide that’s how people like Trump get into office and now he can advance this white nationalist agenda which is completely not American.”
Sisters Meg Walsh and Mag Campbell, both nuns, were among the crowd at the protest. Walsh said they attended “in solidarity with people believing the kingdom of God can exist on earth.” She said they attend marches that support life, quality and love. Campbell added sitting at home and doing nothing does nothing to make a difference.
