Trump Supporters Blame Police, Mayor Liccardo For South Bay Rally Violence
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) -- Donald Trump supporters are upset with the San Jose Police Department over violence at a South Bay convention center last week.
A small group of Trump supporters met in San Jose to point blame at police, and Mayor Sam Liccardo as well.
There were only five of the supporters for the small protest, and no anti-Trump protesters Monday.
"All of a sudden, as a white person and a veteran, I have to be afraid to fly my flag," Cary Snyder, a Donald Trump supporter said.
Snyder, an Air Force veteran, called the rally to speak out against the violence at last week's Trump rally, in which several protesters assaulted Trump supporters.
"All of a sudden, I have to be afraid to be a Trump supporter. That's not the America that I know," Snyder said.
The protesters demanded answers about questionable police tactics that left Trump supporters unprotected.
"They stood by and watched people get thrown to the ground, hit, blindsided. Only after someone was on the ground and injured did they step in. I find that disturbing," Mike Reed said at Monday's rally.
"I thought I would be safe, but no, wrong," Trump supporter Barbara Arigoni said.
Arigoni repeated a charge circulating on the internet that Mayor Liccardo ordered police to stand down.
"We recognize it's election season, and people come up with pretty interesting rumors. Most of them are false, as is this one," Liccardo said.
Mayor Liccardo also said the city charter stops him from intervening in police matters.
"I can say that arrests are imminent," Albert Morales of the San Jose Police said.
So far police have not made any additional arrests, and they are now asking for victims of Thursday night's violence to step forward to prosecute the people involved.
Trump supporters are not the only ones complaining about police.
A new video surfaced on the internet showing police shoving two female anti-trump protesters from behind as they tried to clear the streets.
