6 arrested at Minn. rally in support of Trump

Published 10:07 am Monday, March 6, 2017

ST. PAUL — Six counterprotesters were arrested in St. Paul on Saturday during a rally in support of President Donald Trump, one of several “March 4 Trump” events held nationwide.

St. Paul police spokesman Steve Linders said five of the people arrested face felony riot charges after they allegedly lit fireworks inside the Minnesota State Capitol, then ran away. The Minnesota State Patrol says its officers arrested a sixth counterprotester for disorderly conduct.

About 400 people attended the St. Paul event, and about 50 people showed up to protest against it, State Patrol Lt. Tiffani Nielson said.

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The Star Tribune reports there were minor scuffles during the rally, which were diffused by other protesters and police, who separated the two groups.

Trump supporters waved American flags and Trump/Pence signs in the rotunda before listening to several speakers. A few minutes after the protest began, dozens of counterprotesters arrived with their own signs, including one that said “Love Trumps Hate.”

The event led to dueling chants inside the Capitol rotunda.

Another rally in Rochester drew about 10 people, and no counterprotesters, the Rochester Post-Bulletin reported. That protest got off to a rough beginning, when organizers were told they couldn’t use the Olmsted County Republican Party office because the rally wasn’t sanctioned by the GOP.

The group took their rally outside, eventually deciding to go to a pedestrian bridge over U.S. Highway 52 where they honked and waved flags at motorists. Brian Braaten, who organized the rally, parked his trailer near the bridge. The trailer was covered with a “Wake Up America” sign and warnings about Sharia law.