Protests in response to business mogul Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Syracuse remained largely peaceful, but ended with about 10 demonstrators being kicked out of the rally and intense shouting matches between protesters and Trump supporters.

The Syracuse Police Department, New York State Troopers and two officers from the Department of Public Safety at Syracuse University guarded the entrance of the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center as protests were staged behind a barrier across the street from the building. About 300 people were part of the protest.

Many were members of existing activist groups in Syracuse, such as the Syracuse Peace Council, the Workers Center of Central New York and Veterans for Peace. These activist networks organized the protest largely on Facebook, organizers said.

They were joined by a group of about 30 SU students who marched from the steps in front of the Hall of Languages to the OnCenter. That march was led and organized by Student Association President Aysha Seedat. More SU students attended the protest independently.

The tension between Trump supporters and protesters, both during the rally and afterward, has become a normal occurrence at Trump rallies around the country. Some have even turned violent, as insults and barbs have escalated into brawls. In most cases, protesters are the ones getting hurt.

Although most of the demonstrations took place behind the barrier, which was declared a “low risk zone” by protest organizers, some protesters snuck signs inside the rally and when Trump arrived at about 12:30 p.m., held them up and started chanting.

Mike Phelps, a Syracuse native and army veteran, said he was the first protester to be ejected from the rally. He snuck in a cloth sign with Trump’s name crossed out and held it up just as Trump arrived on stage. Phelps said Trump pointed directly at him as soon as he walked on stage and told his security to “get this guy out of here.”

“Three people tried to grab my sign as I was walking out, two other people looked like they were about to punch me,” Phelps said. “It was an aggressive environment, to say the least.”

The first protester to get kicked out tells me that Donald Trump pointed at him and said “Get this guy out of here” pic.twitter.com/pYRAR4cpoG

— Rachel Sandler (@rachsandl) April 16, 2016

Rally-goers were told inside of the event to point out and draw attention to protesters by chanting “Trump, Trump, Trump.” An officer would then escort those protesters out of the building.

Two students from SU and a student from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry were among those kicked out of the rally.

Laura Jaffee, a graduate student at SU, and Hasmik Djoulakian, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, both snuck in signs and started chanting, “The people united will never be defeated.” Almost immediately, they said, security came and escorted them out of the building.

“It was just a hateful, racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant environment,” Jaffee said.

Jackie Geer, the student from SUNY-ESF, said she started chanting, “Spread love not hate,” and a security guard immediately yelled, “You’re out” at her. She was then taken out of the building, but, she said, she still kept chanting.

Tensions flared after the rally ended when Trump supporters exited the building. Many walked up to the barrier in front of the protesters as they were yelling, “You’re supporting a racist!”

Some Trump supporters did not respond, some did not say anything but stuck up their middle finger instead and others yelled right back — often cursing — in what became a series of screaming matches near the barrier separating the protest from the rally. Neither the anti-Trump protesters nor the Trump supporters became violent at any time.

In one instance, an older woman with a “Make America Great Again” hat responded to protesters yelling that Trump was racist by saying, “You’re the racists! Up yours.” Another older man walked by and told protesters to “go back to Cuba.”

After most of the rally attendees left, some remained and stood across the street from the protesters, taunting them and waving Trump signs.

Published on April 16, 2016 at 4:40 pm

Contact Rachel: rsandler@syr.edu