Scenes From a Protest: When Activists Joined Forces at Trump’s Orange County Stump Speech (Photos)

Donald Trump’s handlers flipped into stealth mode before the GOP candidate’s rally last week in Orange County, Calif., working hard to keep key details of the event from anyone not intending to show their support or whip out their checkbooks. (Local news crews and police forces got the memo, of course.)

Nonetheless, throngs of protesters from various groups and backgrounds — feminists, anarchists, LGBTQ rights proponents, Mexican activists and peace advocates among them — turned up in time to make their presence known and face off with Trump supporters at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

As the Los Angeles Times reported, those among the pro-Trump ranks were instructed over a loudspeaker to keep things civil when interacting with protesters, which, based on previous example, was a necessary reminder:

As the crowd continued to file into the outdoor arena at the Orange County Fairgrounds, a public announcer warned that protesters might try to take advantage of Trump’s “hospitality.”

Noting that there was a designated protest area outside, the announcer said that if someone interrupts the rally, “Please do not touch or harm the protester,” which drew hearty laughs from the crowd.

Despite cautionary measures, tensions boiled over as the evening progressed.

Below is a series of photos taken on the scene before and during Trump’s stump speech in the O.C. (via Evrybit):

–Posted by Kasia Anderson; photos by Lola Trifunovic