Page 3 - ATD12DEC2015
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U.S. NEWS A3
Saturday 12 December 2015
Protesters disrupt Donald Trump speech at NYC luncheon
ejected some of them from Associated Press were also
the event.
Four protesters chanting forcibly removed from the
“Trump is trying to
bring us down, targeting hotel lobby.
people black and brown,”
tried to storm a side Later in Trump’s speech,
entrance into the speech
at Manhattan’s The Plaza about nine other
Hotel as security staff
pushed them away. protesters from various
The protesters were
affiliated with various Arab- advocacy groups stood
American and Muslim-
American groups, as well as up to denounce his recent
groups for racial equality.
Trump, who is leading most comments to temporarily
polls in the Republican
presidential nomination bar Muslims from entering
race, caused a worldwide
uproar with his recent the U.S., protesters said.
call to ban Muslims from
entering the United States. “I’m really frightened by
One of the protesters,
Jorge Gonzalez, fell down that kind of rhetoric,” said
a flight of stairs after a hotel
security worker pushed him. Martha Acklesberg, 69, a
He said he was uninjured.
Another was thrown to the member of the group Jews
ground in the hotel lobby
and two reporters from The for Racial and Economic
Justice, who along with
Judith Plaskow, 68, paid to
hear Trump speech and
then disrupted it in protest.
Police officers with the Counter Terrorism unit stand guard as activists protest against Republican Trump, said Acklesberg,
presidential candidate Donald Trump outside The Plaza Hotel, where Trump is attending the
Pennsylvania Republican party’s annual Commonwealth Club luncheon, Friday, Dec. 11, 2015, briefly stopped his speech
in New York.
during their protests and
(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
quipped, “when you’re the
front runner you get a lot of
attention.”
The event, sponsored by
JAKE PEARSON Republican presidential Friday, criticizing the the Commonwealth Club,
Associated Press candidate Donald Trump’s billionaire businessman’s
NEW YORK (AP) — About a speech at a $1,000-a-plate recent anti-Islam rhetoric a Pennsylvania Republican
dozen protesters disrupted New York City luncheon as security staff forcibly
group, was closed to the
press. q
GOP candidate Ben Carson threatens to leave party
Continued from front and Senate Majority Lead- rect,” Carson added. “If it is knowledged that Carson, tical challenges of running
er Mitch McConnell ad- correct, every voter who is like Trump and the rest of a national convention with-
Carson lashed out at Re- dressed Trump’s sustained standing for change must Republican field, signed out a presumptive nomi-
publican leaders who dis- strength and the possibility know they are being be- a pledge not to launch a nee, the attendee said.
cussed the possibility of that a consensus nominee trayed. I won’t stand for it.” third-party bid. Past practice gives one
a “brokered convention” might not emerge before Republican National Com- “The pledge isn’t meaning- presidential candidate
to choose a nominee if convention. mittee spokesman Sean less,” Watts said. “But he control of convention plan-
no consensus candidate “If this was the beginning Spicer responded, “His signed the pledge based ning when he or she emerg-
emerges by the time the of a plan to subvert the will prayers have been an- on everybody playing by es as the party’s nominee
party holds its national con- of the voters and replace it swered,” adding that it’s ul- the rules.” earlier in the year. Party
vention in mid-July. The first with the will of the political timately the voters who will At least one attendee at officials agreed during the
state-by-state primary con- elite, I assure you Donald decide on the Republican the private dinner, which is private dinner to review
tests begin in less than two Trump will not be the only nominee. a regular gathering of lead- contingency plans should
months. one leaving the party,” Spokesman Doug Watts ing Republicans in Wash- multiple candidates remain
The Washington Post first Carson said in a statement said Carson was appalled ington, told The Associ- viable leading into the July
reported Thursday that dur- that referenced Trump’s re- at reports suggesting that ated Press that suggestions convention, according to
ing a recent private dinner, peated threats to leave the Republican leaders were of manipulation by party the same attendee, who
a group including Repub- party if treated “unfairly.” trying to manipulate the leaders were dramatically spoke on the condition of
lican National Committee “I pray that the report in the party’s presidential nomi- exaggerated. There was anonymity in order to dis-
chairman Reince Priebus Post this morning was incor- nating process. He ac- brief discussion of the logis- cuss a private meeting.q
