Dozens of anti-Trump protesters shut down a highway leading to one of the candidate’s rallies outside Phoenix on Saturday, CNN reports. The protesters used their cars and bodies to block cars from traveling on Shea Boulevard near State Route 87 in Fountain Hills, Arizona (which is also the hometown of notorious immigration opponent Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was at the rally to help introduce Trump). The blockade led to an enormous traffic jam on SR 87 and the delay of the start of the Trump event, according to local TV station Fox10. Police eventually arrived to clear the protesters and called in tow trucks to clear their cars. At least three people were arrested, according to ABC15.
In addition to carrying signs saying “Stop Trump,” many of the protesters were speaking out against Trump’s anti-immigration positions. Some of the blocked cars ended up crossing the median to drive on the side of oncoming traffic to get around the jam, and other rally attendees were shown traveling on foot in photos shared on social media. It seems the blockade lasted for as long as two hours, and the traffic snarl persisted long afterward on SR 87.
Trump did not mention the protests in his subsequent speech at the rally, but the crowd roared in approval when Sheriff Arpaio, in his introduction of Trump, announced that three of the blockade demonstrators had been arrested. Arizona’s GOP primary is on Tuesday, and the Real Clear Politics polling average has Trump up 13 points in the state.
Hundreds of people also protested against Trump on Saturday in New York, marching in Manhattan from Columbus Circle to the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue, and getting into a few scrums with New York Police along the way. The protest resulted in a handful of arrests and one situation where police used pepper spray in an attempt to push back the crowd.
This post was updated to incorporate additional details and social media posts regarding the story.
