4 minPolitics
Two Arrested as Anti-Trump Protesters Clash With Police Outside GOP Midterm Convention in Dallas
Dallas police arrested two protesters outside the Republican National Committee's first midterm convention after what authorities described as an assault on a counter-protester and obstruction of a road. Organizers blamed conservative provocateurs for the confrontation blocks from where President Donald Trump was set to deliver the closing speech.
Dallas police arrested two protesters outside the Republican National Committee's first-ever midterm convention on Thursday after what the department described as an assault on a counter-protester and the obstruction of a road, according to authorities.
The arrests followed a tense confrontation between a crowd of anti-Trump demonstrators and officers in apparent riot gear just blocks from the American Airlines Center, where President Donald Trump was scheduled to deliver the convention's closing speech. The Dallas Police Department said the suspects' names and specific charges would be released after they were booked into jail.
Video circulating on social media showed what appeared to be hundreds of protesters facing off with police near the convention site. Organizers described the march as a demonstration against the Republican agenda and the Trump administration's policies, and said it was assembled by a coalition of faith-based, immigrant-rights and labor groups.
Rick Majumdar, a protester wearing a shirt bearing the initials of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, told reporters that the event was organized by the Dallas Against the Trump Agenda Coalition, which he said consists of 16 organizations. He said the group was protesting «the Republican agenda, the Trump agenda and all its policies that it has enacted over the last few years.»
Majumdar said the confrontation occurred at what he called the «closest entry point» to the convention, and that marchers encountered street closures set up by police. He said officers arrested two people at the front of the group, claiming they were trying to draw people away from «rioting provocateurs» when police moved in. He also alleged that some officers drew their weapons during the encounter.
Police disputed that account, saying the two arrested individuals assaulted a counter-protester and blocked a roadway. The department did not immediately provide further details about the circumstances of the arrests or the condition of the counter-protester.
The protest unfolded amid heightened national concern over political violence and the targeting of public figures. It coincided with the first anniversary of the assassination of conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, a killing that has continued to shape security planning around major political gatherings.
Republicans gathered in Dallas for the party's first midterm convention, an event designed to rally activists and coordinate strategy ahead of the November elections. Party leaders have framed the convention as an opportunity to defy historical trends that typically favor the party out of power in midterm cycles.
The Dallas Police Department said officers assigned to the protest area made the arrests. Authorities did not say how many officers were deployed or whether additional arrests were expected. The department said it would release more information once the suspects were processed.
Majumdar declined to say whether protesters had blocked any roads, and when asked whether he had a message for President Trump, he paused, smiled and said, «Thank you.»
The confrontation remained under investigation Thursday evening. Neither the Dallas Police Department nor convention organizers had issued a broader statement about security outside the arena as the president's speech proceeded inside.
