Editor’s note: In this interpretive article, Rebecca Tombaugh, reporting artist, tells us what it was like to be next to the protesters at the Trump rally Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.
by Rebecca Tombaugh
With handmade signs, and with shouting, singing and an offer of “free hugs,” protesters from all over the metro stood on the corner of 12th and Main streets when Donald J. Trump came to town on Saturday night.
“A vote for Trump is a vote for Hitler!” shouted one young man with a red bull horn.
Trump, front-running candidate for the Republican Party, held a rally at Arvest Bank Theater at The Midland at 1228 Main St.
The line of people waiting with tickets to enter the theater wrapped around the block.
“Shame! Shame! Shame!” the protesters chanted to supporters as the line slowly moved forward.
“I think you need to hear both sides,” said one Trump supporter in the line to a protester.
As of press time, Kansas City, Mo., Police Chief Darryl Forte had tweeted there were four arrests, and Trump during his speech reportedly asked the Kansas City police to arrest the protesters.
Around 6 p.m. when the rally was to begin, the people in the line had to pass by the corner where several dozen protesters were gathered. Some brought signs, and others made signs on the spot with Sharpie pens on plain pieces of paper, such as “Quietly Protesting No Hate No Trump.”
Another sign read “Trump loves Taco Tuesday.”
A young man walked down the entire line of supporters saying “Black lives matter…all lives matter…black lives matter…”
A few wrapped themselves in the Mexican flags.
Two blocks over, at the Sprint Center, the Big 12 Conference went on.
In between the protesters and the line of attendees was a tent full of T-shirts and buttons and hats with Trump logos.
“Cash or card — who’s next?” asked the salesman.
Across the street from the theater, more protesters began to gather with signs on cardboard taped to sticks. Cars driving honked and blared their horns.
Inside, Trump was continuing.
“And we’re going to take our country back from those people,” he said of the protesters, on a live stream.
Only the day before, the Trump rally in Chicago was reported to have been canceled due to security precautions. In Kansas City, shortly after, social media was showing plans being made by the protesters, such as a Facebook page “Trump Out of KC!” by the Progressive Youth Organization. but all were urged to be peaceful.
In front of the theater, the line of supporters and protesters were inches away from each other on the street, and at times, would have conversations with each other about the candidate. A few times, voices were raised. Kansas City police stood by, stepping in and separated the two sides when the shouting became tense.
In one exchange between a protester and a man in the line, the man walked on forward, pointing his index finger back at the protester, saying “F— you and all your towel-headed friends!”
But, in turning his head back, the man tripped on the curb and nearly fell down.
“Don’t yell!” answered the protester. “If you hurt your ankle, Bernie can fix it for ya!”
“For free!” said another.
Around 7:30 p.m. protesters from inside the rally were removed. Many joined the ones on the corner. The crowd continued to grow throughout the evening. News outlets reported police used pepper spray on the crowd at one point.
According to a post on the PYO, “You guys do realize that the crowd got sprayed whether people were doing something wrong or not!!! It was a blind mass pepper spraying action where several people were affected!!! From my understanding the only reason KCPD did this is because the crowd got too big not because there were violence among protesters!!!”
Trump is scheduled to hold his next rally Sunday in Bloomington, Ill.
Rebecca Tombaugh is a free-lance reporting artist in Kansas City, and former managing editor of the Kansas City Kansan.
Photos and story copyright 2016 by Rebecca Tombaugh.
Thank you Rebecca. Amazing to read your “boots on the ground experience. Writing a lived experience is indeed living art.
Great job, Rebecca. I considered going to the rally, but then I chickened out, knowing there would likely be troublemakers there.
Rebecca I felt like I was there after reading your article. Thelma Fowler…you are amazing!