Politics & Government
Thousands Plan to Protest at Donald Trump Rally in Chicago
GOP Presidential frontrunner could be met with a significant amount of anti-Trump sentiment when he gets to the UIC Pavilion Friday.
CHICAGO, IL - Protests have followed rallies of support for Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump throughout the nation in the 2016 campaign, and the one planned for Friday’s gathering in Chicago could be larger than any other.
More than 8,000 Facebook users have confirmed their attendance for “Trump Rally Protest” at the UIC Pavilion on Friday, March 11 - when the Republican frontrunner is scheduled to speak to supporters in Chicago.
RELATED: Donald Trump Plans Rally at UIC Friday
The protest “is dedicated to gathering a large group of people regardless of race, gender, religion, sexuality, political affiliation, etc. to unite in solidarity AGAINST the Donald Trump campaign and its presence at Chicago and at UIC,” according to the protest’s Facebook page.
Reasons for the protest include:
“Trump has called for the complete and total shutdown of all Muslims entering the United States. He has claimed that Islam and Muslims are hateful and terrorists and must be barred entrance until he decides otherwise.”
“Trump has consistently refused to disavow and condemn the white supremacist hate groups such as the KKK that support and work for his campaign.”
“Trump has generalized the entire Mexican immigrant community as criminals and rapists. He calls for the mass deportation of 11 million adults and children alike regardless of how long they have lived in the United States. He also calls for the building of a giant wall to separate us from our long-time allies in Mexico.”
In addition, a MoveOn.org petition has surfaced calling for the cancellation of the event all together.
“Donald Trump is running on a platform of hate and dangerous intolerance. It has no place in Chicago but especially not at an institution of higher learning,” according to the petition, which has garnered more than 45,000 signatures as of Monday night.
University of Illinois-Chicago officials confirmed last week that Trump has rented the Pavilion - a common home for events on campus - for an event set to begin at 6 p.m. The Trump rally is not in conjunction with the University.
More than 15,000 people claim they are “interested” in the protest.
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