COLUMBUS, Ohio – Supporters of Bernie Sanders are divided over confrontational protests against Donald Trump, especially the one that shut down a Trump event in Chicago Friday night, which was partially organized by Sanders supporters. The rally was called off by Trump’s campaign, citing security concerns, though the Chicago Police Department says it was not consulted in the decision.
Trump is increasingly blaming disruptions at his events on “Bernie’s crowd,” and on Sunday threatened to send his own supporters to cause trouble at Sanders’ events. Sanders supporters have participated in and organized some protests at Trump events, but the Sanders campaign has stated that it is not involved with the protests.
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At a massive Sanders rally Sunday night at Ohio State University, everyone seemed to agree that Trump is wrong, bigoted, and even dangerous. While some said his extremism justifies a dramatic response, others felt Trump has a right to speak and that any attempt to prevent the candidate from doing so is not just wrong, but against what Sanders stands for.
“It’s what he deserves,” Farida Moalim, an Ohio State student wearing a head scarf, said of the Chicago shutdown. “If you have a right to make your whole entire campaign about hatred and bigotry, then people have a right to protest.”
Archanaa Lingan, a senior in high school, said she was pleased to see Sanders supporters taking a bold stand in Chicago and elsewhere. “Sometimes you just have to make a statement,” she said. “I think Trump is inciting violence, no one else is.”
Christian Goodknight, an 18-year-old student at a nearby school, said he was all for attempts to take over Trump events and hoped to see more of it. What if Trump sent supporters to Sanders rallies? “We’d be ready,” he said, “there’d be a pretty big commotion.”
While opinions didn’t break down entirely along generational lines, older supporters tended to have a more negative view of the aggressive tactics by protesters.
Steve Austin, a bus driver in Columbus, condemned the shutdown of the Chicago rally and said Sanders should too. “It disturbs me that Sanders supporters would be involved in that,” he said. “I want Trump to shut up as much as anyone else, but he has a right to speak.”
Austin said that what attracts him to Sanders is his message of inclusiveness and peace, and that the protests run counter to that sentiment. “It’s the antithesis of what Sanders stands for,” he said.
Kyle Eads, who held his young daughter in his arms at the Sanders rally, agreed. “We shouldn’t impede on anyone’s First Amendment rights,” he said.
John Kinlock, a cellular engineer from Columbus, said that he’s not sure if shutting Trump down was the right approach, but he was glad to see people taking direct action against Trump. “Our people went there to protest, they did nothing wrong,” he said. “There should be more.”
Another young father, Jesse Blackburn, said he likes that people are standing up to Trump, but didn’t like the shut down and worries that liberals are unfairly demonizing all Trump supporters as racists.
He was also concerned about what would happen if Trump sent his supporters to a Sanders event. “Knowing the fervor on both sides, there would probably be more violent action, unfortunately,” he said.









