An anti-Donald Trump rally in San Jose turned violent Thursday night, with protesters throwing punches and food at Trump supporters as they left the event. The clashing outside of the McEnery Convention Center follows in a series of violent altercations at Trump rallies across the country.
Police told The Associated Press that four people were taken into custody, and that one officer was assaulted. At least 12 people were reportedly punched.
CBS News reports that at first, a crowd of at least 300 showed up to voice their distaste for the presumptive GOP nominee for president, who spoke to about 4,000 supporters.
Local news outlet KTVU put the number of anti-Trump protesters closer to 500.
The Mercury News called the incident "the biggest and most violent political protest San Jose has seen in decades," describing one woman being "struck in the forehead by a flying metal parking barricade" and protesters hurling traffic cones and water bottles at police.
Videos posted to social media show several violent interactions between anti-Trump demonstrators and his fans. In one clip posted to Twitter, a man bearing a Trump sign can be seen being struck by a protester. He spoke to reporters with blood on his face and shirt:
One woman, wearing a Trump jersey, smiled at a jeering crowd.
Eventually, the roaring crowd threw food at her. She was left with egg in her hair:
In another video, one man is walking on a street when he is pushed to the ground in a violent confrontation; another man gets clocked in the face.
Violence and unrest is becoming the standard at Trump rallies. In April, anti-Trump protesters threw objects at motorists and damaged cars in a protest in Costa Mesa, Calif. Last month, violence broke out among protesters in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Protesters have also been assaulted by supporters on numerous occasions.
Some protesters were upset by the violence as well. Redwood City resident Arnold Morales told the Mercury News, "I came to protest Donald Trump, not to get in the middle of this. This is really, really stupid." He added, "there's a lot of people like me, but everyone will just focus on the four crazy ones. That diminishes the message."
In its report, KTVU noted that protesters were not violent.
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo praised police and criticized Trump in an interview with The Associated Press. "Our police officers have done an extremely courageous and professional job so far," the Democratic Clinton supporter said, adding, "At some point Donald Trump needs to take responsibility for the irresponsible behavior of his campaign."
Danielle Wiener-Bronner is a news reporter.