Trump supporters, protesters face off in noisy rival rallies at R.I. State House

Providence Journal (RI)

March 26--PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Dueling rallies brought at least a thousand people to the Rhode Island State House grounds on Saturday to hail -- or denounce -- the presidency of Donald Trump, with Trump supporters chanting, "Build the wall, build the wall," and the anti-Trump crowd blaring horns and pounding plastic buckets in opposition.

A line of Providence police officers separated the two factions.

"Hey, hey, ho, ho. Donald J. Trump has got to go," the protesters chanted to the persistent drumbeat of the What Cheer? Brigade street band.

ON TWITTER: The scene as Trump backers, foes face off at State House

At one point, as the protesters cranked up their volume, WADK-AM 1540 radio talk show host John DePetro stepped to the microphone to shout at the protesters: "If you believe in America, you will stop your noise. We have rights. You are a disgrace to America."

Trump's honorary Rhode Island campaign chairman, Joe Trillo, led the pro-Trump chant: "We won. You lost. Go home."

The Providence Police Department estimated the crowd size as at least a thousand. People from both sides of the divide gathered at the foot of the marble steps where the leaders of the "Make America Great Again" rally -- including Trillo, DePetro, state GOP Chairman Brandon Bell and North Kingstown Councilwoman Doreen Costa, a former Republican state lawmaker -- delivered their pro-Trump, pro-Republican and anti-political-establishment pep talks.

The pro-Trump rally in Providence was timed to coincide with similar rallies across the country led by Trump backers who felt compelled to publicly show that "real Americans" support the new president, despite the many controversies swirling around him. The Rhode Island event drew commercial fishermen from surrounding states -- such as Gary Yearman of New London, Connecticut, and Dan Malone, of Stonington, Connecticut -- who are pinning their hopes on Trump to ease regulations in their industry.

"We're here to try to gain some momentum, to possibility get a meeting with Mr. Trump or somebody that can take notice of the commercial fishing industry before they go out of business," said Yearman, who estimated that 30 or 40 people, in his industry, from outside Rhode Island came to the rally.

In Rhode Island, the marchers began their trek at Providence City Hall, and then walked up Francis Street to the State House for the speeches and flag-waving. Trump's supporters led, chanting "USA, USA." The opponents followed, some chanting anti-Trump slogans and marching to the rhythm of the What Cheer? Brigade.

As the keynote speaker, DePetro declared, "We are gathered ... to send a message to the White House and President Trump: the people of Rhode Island are with you." The crowd of Trump supporters cheered.

"Help us get rid of the selfish, corrupt, incompetent politicians who hold our state hostage," DePetro said.

He continued: "Here in Rhode Island, we have seen jobs leave, factories close ... Good, hard-working families continue to struggle ... Empty buildings, panhandlers, dangerous drug dealers and illegal aliens [causing] chaos in our communities. The biggest building is the Superman building and it's empty. The only crane in the sky is the one lifting the 800 pound man," an apparent reference to an obese man who was moved from a Providence nursing home by crane in 2015.

"We Trump supporters are here as one, to become a force to change the state," DePetro said.

At one point, after DePetro took a several jabs at Rhode Island's Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo, the Trump backers shouted, "One and done." Then, at DePetro's mention of "driver's licenses for illegal aliens," he and they chanted, "Lock her up! Lock her up!"

There was no trouble until the two factions reached the State House, and then there was some pushing and shoving between a man in a "Defenders of Liberty Motorcycle Club" jacket and a couple of the anti-Trump demonstrators. Police ended the confrontation quickly.

Providence police Cmdr. Thomas Verdi said there were "some potentially volatile situations," including "face-to-face and nose-to-nose stand-offs." He said, "People were trying to antagonize one another" throughout the event.

The police were able to divide and separate the groups and mitigate those confrontations, Verdi said, "so therefore there were no arrests, no incidents of violence." There were at least 50 Providence police, 30 state police, and some Capitol police, Verdi said, praising them for a job well done. He said of the demonstrators: "Two groups equal in size ... each voicing their opinions and positions, and both very passionate, but able to do so in a very peaceful way."

The lawn was a sea of pro- and anti-Trump signs. From one side: "Women for Trump," "Trump patriotic Americans support their president," "Promises made, promises kept." From the other: "Freedom of speech is not freedom to lie," "Build love not a wall" and "Trump treason."

Terry Gorman, executive director of Rhode Islanders for Immigration and Law Enforcement, had unflattering words for the ant-Trump crowd, calling them "the biggest bunch of nuts -- they looked like they were homeless, disgruntled, paid-to-be-there college kids."

Gorman, who came to the rally with an American flag on his jacket, said he was particularly offended by "a large young lady there with more than enough cleavage showing, and she had a sign that said '[Expletive] Your Orders and [Expletive] Your Borders." Why? Regardless of how you feel about the situation you don't have to resort to vulgarity."

Rachel Jarosz, a retired nurse from Lincoln, said, "I went because I wanted to stand up for social justice. I am almost 60 years old. I am white. I am comfortable, I'm well-educated." Until Trump's inauguration, she said she had never protested. "But now I need to go out and speak up for those who are being discriminated against."

She added, "I'm just very concerned at the direction the country's taken. He [Trump] has unleashed something very toxic in this country, and I can't be quiet."

Around the edges of the crowd, respectful conversations broke out.

In his "Make America Great Again" hat, John Carnevale, of Johnston, talked with Linda Strate, of North Kingstown, who held a #Resist Hate sign. She was there because of health care. He was there to "affirm that Trump is our president."

Oh, Strate said, "He may not be if he screwed around with Russia!"

"People throw around allegations, but you're innocent until proven guilty in this country," Carnevale argued. That's true, she said.

They kept talking. "Why not?" Strate said later. "I'm a nice person, and I think he is too. We're good people, we just disagree."

The two opposing rallies ended just before 1 p.m. when the Providence police and state troopers ordered the demonstrators to leave and formed a line that nudged both groups away from the State House and down Francis Street.

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