Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was forced to cancel one of his rallies in Chicago on Friday due to security concerns.
Protestors packed the venue where the rally was set to take place, and the crowd began to turn more aggressive as the evening went on, leading to the decision to cancel the event.
Trump supporters and Republicans believe that there was intense planning and organization behind the shut down, mainly from supporters of Bernie Sanders and other left wing organizations, and they may be onto something.
Ja’Mal Green, a black activist and Bernie Sanders supporter, posted on Facebook last week before the rally, “Everyone get your tickets to this. We’re all going in!!!! #SHUTITDOWN.” Green, along other Sanders supporters, could be heard chanting “Ber-nie” outside of the venue and cheering at the news of its cancelation.
Groups from the local University of Illinois Chicago including members of the Black Student Union, gathered before the rally in a campus lecture hall to discuss plans to march and disrupt the rally. One of the student organizers started a Facebook page that ended up with over 11,600 RSVPs to the protests.
MoveOn.org also encouraged protestors to attend the rally and disrupt the event. Once the top executives of MoveOn got word of a petition calling on the school to cancel the rally, they decided to pitch in to the cause. MoveOn donated money to get signs and banners and organized an email blast to promote the protest to Chicago residents.
Trump seems to be taking the cancellation in stride, blaming the protestors frustrations on the poor economy and lack of financial freedom that has affected so many people.