As Donald Trump took to the stage Monday for a campaign rally in Las Vegas on the eve of the year’s last presidential debate, the event briefly went off the rails when supporters began engaging with activists on hand to protest the Republican Party front-runner.
Racial epithets, obscenities and at least one Nazi salute were reportedly overheard by witnesses at the Westgate Resort and Casino ballroom as anti-Trump protesters were pulled from the venue by security guards amid a sea of irate supporters.
Mr. Trump was only a few minutes into his speech when two protesters unfurled an anti-Trump sign as “zealous chorus of boos filled the room,” Buzzfeed reported. The interruption reportedly gave way to at least five showdowns between security guards and activists that were recorded by eyewitnesses and posted online.
Among those ejected from the venue was Ender Austin III, a 30-year-old local man who interrupted Mr. Trump’s address with a call for gun control.
Mr. Austin, the founder of Moment of Hope Ministries in North Las Vegas, told The Times on Tuesday that he shouted, “We need more gun control, we can’t pin all violence on undocumented people,” before security attempted to remove him from the event. As he was being removed, Mr. Austin said heard the crowd yell the N-word, “hail Trump” and “Sieg Heil” as they cheered his ejection.
Video footage has surfaced in which a man can be heard barking the Nazi salute while Mr. Austin attempted to evoke his First Amendment right to free speech. In another video, a man is heard screaming, “he’s a Muslim” at a protester, while in another an attendee is recording saying “light the [expletive] on fire.” Others recalled hearing calls of “shoot him” and “kick his ass” as protesters were removed.
“It was said @realDonaldTrump loves the constitution. If that is fact, why were my rights not protected last night at his rally?” Mr. Austin asked on Twitter, adding in a separate tweet that the altercation made him concerned for his safety.
“Why was I upset? 3 years after the massacre at #Newton revisionist historians paint a picture that undocumented persons r the biggest threat,” he tweeted. “What was I upset about? Muslims are being treated like other and not Americans.”
Mr. Austin told The Times that he was not charged with any crimes after Monday night’s outburst.
Mr. Trump has advocated in recent days for a moratorium that would prohibit Muslims from coming to the United States, which was condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike, as well as advocacy groups representing both Jews and Muslims. Don Black, the founder of white nationalist website Stormfront, attributed Mr. Trump’s remarks with a boost in his online traffic, and police in Atlanta opened an investigation last week after vandals posted signs around the city depicting Mr. Trump as Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Nevertheless, the latest polls have listed Mr. Trump above other Republicans vying for the party’s nod, with a Monmouth University poll released this week showing 41 percent of likely Republicans voters supporting him.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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