Protestors and supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump squared off outside the venue of his Salt Lake City rally Friday night.
Early in the evening, only 40 protesters waved signs and shouted the occasional heckle across the street from the Infinity Event Center at 26 E. 600 South. The numbers grew to several hundred as a protest organized by Students for a Democratic Society, a student organization at the University of Utah, marched to the venue from nearby Washington Square Park, where they originally gathered.
Quickly both sides engaged in various chants, waved signs and argued with each other.
Salt Lake City Police repeatedly walked up and down the curbs of 600 South, forcing protesters and supports back to sidewalks in an attempt to keep the growing crowds out of the street.
Eventually both supporters and protesters spilled into the street as Salt Lake police shut down eastbound 600 North at around 7 p.m., according to Salt Lake detective Cody Lougy.
“We had an individual on the Trump side throw something into the crowd,” Lougy said. “But other than that there was nothing of major concern.”
Police donned riot gear and formed a skirmish line between the two groups to minimize physical confrontation between the two groups. Lougy said this was just a precaution in case “things went south.”
Police broke up minor shoving matches a few times throughout the evening. Lougy said police made no arrests.
