Teenage Trump protester allegedly groped then pepper-sprayed by Trump supporters
A 15-year-old protesting at a Donald Trump rally in Wisconsin on 29 March was allegedly groped and later pepper-sprayed in the face by an older Trump supporter. During the incident, which was captured on camera and shared on social media, the girl accuses an older man of touching her "breasts" outside of the Janesville rally.
The video captures the moment the two engage in a spirited argument before she appears to push or punch the man. At that moment, a young man wearing a Trump's signature "Make America Great Again" baseball caps reaches through the mob and pepper-sprays the teen in the face.
In an early video before the girl is pepper-sprayed, she and another young woman are seen holding up Black Lives Matter signs. As they protest, a crowd of white supporters surround the women and begin chanting "All lives matter."
According to The Washington Post, police are searching for both men involved in the altercation. "A 15 year girl from Janesville was peppered sprayed in the crowd by a non-law enforcement person," authorities said in a statement. "A 19 year old woman from Madison received 2nd hand spray as well. Both individuals received medical attention at local hospitals."
The statement continued: "A male in the crowd groped the 15 year girl. When she pushed him away; another person in the [crowd] sprayed her. We are currently looking for two suspects, one for the sexual assault and one for the pepper spray."
Janesville police also released a photo of the second man as they sought to identify him. Janesville Police Chief David Moore told reporters that the investigation was passed on to the department's bureau of detectives. "We intend to learn the true events that occurred and make the appropriate arrests," Moore said.
USA Today reported that six protesters were arrested on 28 March on charges of disorderly conduct, obstructing an officer and trespass after refusing to leave the lobby of the Holiday Inn Express during an anti-Trump demonstration. The protesters identified as being members of Showing Up for Racial Injustice, police said. An additional 60 protesters left the hotel lobby at the request of police.
Police also revealed that of the 2,000 people inside and outside of the event, two people carried concealed weapons and two open carried weapons, CNN reported. All four individuals cooperated with law enforcement.
Protests at Trump's rallies have become increasingly more common over the past couple of months. Earlier in March, the Republican frontrunner was forced to cancel an event in Chicago due to safety concerns. In an incident in North Carolina, a protester being escorted out by police was sucker-punched by a Trump supporter, who was later charged with assault.
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