Page 5 - ATD12March2016
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Saturday 12 March 2016
Trump rallies raise questions about inciting violence
SOPHIA TAREEN ence Friday, Trump ap-
plauded his supporters for
JILL COLVIN taking on protesters who
he says have gotten physi-
Associated Press cal at his rallies.
“The audience hit back,”
CHICAGO (AP) — As Re- he said. “And that’s what
we need a little bit more
publican presidential front- of.” Security experts say
Trump is playing with fire by
runner Donald Trump at- not calming uncivil behav-
ior and assault. “I would go
tempts to unify a fractured so far as to say that I find
that abhorrent,” security
party around his candida- consultant Stan Kephart,
a former police chief in
cy, images of his support- Arizona and California. “To
me, he’s pressing the line.
ers attacking protesters He’s doing things that you
would see a showman do.”
and allegations that he’s The role of law enforce-
ment in these situations is
inciting violence are rais- not simple.
“We respect folks’ First
ing new questions about Amendment rights to free
speech. We’re not there
the divisive nature of his to police the protesters,”
said Robert K. Hoback, a
campaign. spokesman for the Secret
Service, commenting on
Trump had to answer ques- reports that Secret Service
agents escorted protest-
tions at Thursday night’s ers out of a recent Trump
event in Georgia.
debate about video that
showed a white supporter
punching a black protester
at a rally this week in North
Carolina. The supporter A man is removed as he protests Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a cam-
paign rally in Orlando, Fla.
was charged with assault
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Thursday.
“It’s not the America they porters physically assault- fondly of the “good old bad things.”
ing Mercutio Southall Jr., an days” when police could And he defended his sup-
portray on TV,” 26-year-old African-American activist, rough protesters up without porters: “People come
at a rally in Alabama. fear of backlash. with tremendous passion
Rakeem Jones said a day At past events, Trump has Trump on Thursday reject- and love for the coun-
said he’d like to punch a ed the idea that he was try,” he said. “When they
after being punched. protester in the face and responsible for the inci- see what’s going on in this
promised to pay support- dents and said some of the country, they have anger
It was the latest in a series of ers’ legal fees if they get protesters at his rallies “are that’s unbelievable.”
into trouble. He’s spoken bad dudes and have done But during a news confer-
scuffles at his often heated
rallies, where protesters fre-
quently clash with support-
ers and security. Last year,
video captured Trump sup-
Severe Weather Lashes Louisiana, Forcing Evacuations
Continued on Page 5 Downs racetrack was un- that. Further to the east in Wash- been feeding off of mois-
der a mandatory evacu- To the east, in St. Tammany ington Parish, swollen riv- ture from the Gulf of Mexi-
He said God might take ation, said Bossier Parish Parish officials said three ers and creeks have led co, said Frank Revitte, from
it all with the flood but he Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Davis. A local rivers were reaching to widespread flooding, the National Weather Ser-
wouldn’t allow anyone flood warning was in effect historic levels and would prompting rescues from vice in Slidell.
else to. Thursday morning, for the Red Chute Bayou, continue to rise. They en- scores of homes. On Tuesday night and
with waters creeping up where levees built to pre- couraged people in homes Mike Haley, a chief deputy Wednesday, the system
his front steps, he stood in vent water from overflow- nearby to decide before for the parish’s sheriff, said dumped 15-20 inches
waist-deep water watch- ing were at risk. dark whether to evacuate. dozens of homes have over north Louisiana be-
ing his neighbors evacu- The southeast of the state Thaddeus Jackson, 37, said been flooded. The Coast fore moving south where it
ate. An alligator swam by. started to get battered by water was already entering Guard even had to send dumped about 10-15 inch-
By night it looked like a rain Thursday and Friday. his two-story apartment in a helicopter from New Or- es of rain Thursday and Fri-
“horror movie.” In Tangipahoa Parish, Sher- Hammond when he arrived leans to rescue someone day in some areas — in just
“We were the only two iff Daniel Edwards said home from work at around trapped on a roof. 3 to 4 hours — Rivette said.
here,” he said. “It was pitch close to 50 roads were 2:30 a.m. He tried to pro- There were no reports of The weather system is start-
black, the houses were closed due to high water tect his furniture, then he serious injuries or deaths, ing to move slowly to the
empty. It’s been an adven- and an estimated 300 to and his wife and children said Haley, but he noted northeast, he said, giv-
ture.” 400 people had to evacu- went to bed. that the flooding was worse ing the state a chance to
Residents in two additional ate. Flash flood waters in “When I woke up this morn- than what the parish saw dry out. Southeast Louisi-
subdivisions in the region many populated areas ap- ing, the rescue people during Hurricane Isaac in ana will dry out faster than
were ordered to leave Fri- peared to be receding by were banging on the door, 2012. The severe weather north Louisiana, where the
day, while the Louisiana Friday afternoon, although telling us to get out,” said system that has dumped ground is saturated, he
more rain could change Jackson. rain across the state has said.
