Police Corral Protesters After Trump Rally in San Diego; 35 Arrests Made

SAN DIEGO, CA: Thirty-five arrests were made Friday as police in full riot gear declared unlawful assembly Friday outside the San Diego Convention Center following the Donald Trump campaign rally that ended at about 3:30 p.m.

San Diego police officers — with pepper spray ready — made an announcement over loudspeakers in Spanish and English, ordering crowds of anti-Trump protesters to disperse from areas including the Gaslamp Quarter and the East Village, telling them "they have to leave or they will be arrested."

"Due to violence and physical confrontation in the crowd, officers are now moving into the area," the San Diego Police Department said in a Twitter post. "Dispersal orders have been given."

Additional coverage:

• Trump Rally in San Diego Draws Thousands
• Trump Rally in San Diego: Supporters, Protesters, Police Crowd Downtown

Following the announcement, police — joined by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and other law enforcement personnel, some wearing gas masks —began directing the crowd eastbound across the trolley tracks toward Harbor Drive and Park Drive near Petco Park.

They led the crowd for about 10 feet, then stopped for 10 or 15 minutes, then led the crowd another 10 feet, with the ultimate destination appearing to be Chicano Park, where an anti-Trump protest had taken place earlier Friday.

Sheriff's personnel stood by with rubber bullets and pepper spray at the ready.

Those who did not follow police orders were handcuffed and arrested, which garnered cheers from Trump supporters.

A man wearing a Lakers jersey was arrested when he refused to leave.

Another woman was seen being handcuffed for allegedly resisting arrest.

Anti-Trump protesters were heard shouting, "The people united will never be divided," in unison.

While many in the crowd were young 20- and 30-somethings, others were children and the elderly.

Earlier, police formed a human shield between Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters, who were hurtling water bottles and other objects at one another.

What had been a mostly peaceful gathering grew louder as 10,000 supporters who attended the campaign rally spilled out of the downtown venue.

Many in the crowd moved from their designated demonstration zones that had been set up on Fifth Avenue for those who support the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and those who don't.

At least three people were arrested by 4:30 p.m. — one for allegedly being among a group of several protesters who tried to breech a secured area, according to police.

(Warning: the below video contains strong language that some may find offensive)

After protests turned violent Tuesday in Albuquerque, leading to concerns about security in San Diego, police Chief Zimmerman had vowed that law enforcement would tolerate no violence, disruptive behavior or unlawful acts at the Trump event in her city.

"The situation rapidly changed from predominantly peaceful protests that we had been seeing all day long, to acts of violence between opposing protesters, which included fights, objects being thrown into the crowd and the crowd pushing and shoving each other," Zimmerman said Friday.

"To keep the peace and to prevent further acts of violence — just like we said that we were going to do all day — we took very quick and decisive action and we issued an unlawful assembly order," Zimmerman said. "We did this to control the crowd, secure the area and also to maintain the safety of all of our public."

By around 6:45 p.m., police had led remaining protesters across a bridge from downtown to Chicano Park. A warning was given to move off the bridge or "be arrested." About five people were handcuffed on the bridge as some protesters threw rocks and water bottles at officers.

As many as five more people were arrested once what was left of the protest crowd, around 30 people, arrived in the 1900 block of Harbor Drive — one who was a minor and was possibly carrying a piece a wood that police believed could be used as a weapon. Police then allowed the majority of the others to leave.

Meanwhile, at around 7:30 p.m., another crowd was forming near Main Street and Cesar E. Chavez Parkway, close to the park.

Earlier Friday near the designated demonstration area outside the convention center, Martha McPhail of La Mesa held a "Dump Trump" sign.

"I am opposed to the hateful, bigoted, racist language of Donald Trump and his arrogance and intolerance," McPhail told City News Service. "I'm for all of our people — all races, sexes, genders, military veterans — and he's divisive."

Bryan Sanders, a Tucson resident, said he came to San Diego because Trump needs to be stopped.

"Donald Trump is a fascist," said Sanders, 33. "He has no business being in American politics. He's un-American. His march toward power needs to stop, and it's gonna."

Sanders said he was injured at a previous Trump rally in his hometown.

Riley Hansen, a 19-year-old supporter, was selling pro-Trump T-shirts and said he likes the candidate's business knowledge.

"My dad always told me you need a businessman as president," the Orange County resident said. "I like his policies. We need the border wall built."

Zimmerman said thousands of people in the crowd were mostly peaceful and it was only a handful of protesters that sparked the violence.

"I couldn't be more proud of everybody today, all law enforcement and public safety personnel who went out there and really showed just tremendous, tremendous patience and professionalism what they did today," she said.

Around 7:50 p.m., Trump tweeted his praise of the San Diego Police Department, "Fantastic job on handling the thugs who tried to disrupt our very peaceful and well attended rally. Greatly appreciated!"

(Patch Editor Alexander Nguyen contributed photos and coverage for this report from the San Diego Convention Center. City News Service also contributed to this report.)