Every law enforcement agency in San Mateo County will have officers deployed to the Burlingame Hyatt Regency to keep protesters from spilling onto Old Bayshore Boulevard or Highway 101. Chuck Coppola reports.
It’s not unusual for Donald Trump protesters to show up wherever he goes — and on Friday it’s expected to be just as much.
Anti-Trump activists flew a plane over Mountain View Thursday, with a banner that read, “Google Don’t Be Evil, #DumpTrump.”
Google, which is based out of Mountain View, plans to livestream July’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland, but activists argue that the tech giant shouldn’t give Trump a worldwide platform.
Trump’s speeches have been extremely controversial, with the business mogul calling Mexicans rapists and murderers, and even instigating fights with his anti-immigrant rhetoric.
More than 8,000 people have signed up for a Facebook event calling for an anti-Trump demonstration outside the Burlingame Hyatt Regency Friday where Trump is expected to speak before a sold-out crowd during the California Republican Convention kickoff lunch.
“Donald Trump is coming to the Bay Area — let's show him a real Bay Area welcome by peacefully protesting outside,” a message on the event’s Facebook wall says.
Turn Up on Trump, another Facebook event, has attracted nearly 2,000 people.
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The stage in Burglingame where Trump will speak to about 600 people had final preparations late Thursday. Organizers are hoping supporters of all three candidates do not reduce the gathering to a shouting match.
"We've talked with everybody and we're confident that we have a good system in place," said Kaitlyn MacGregor, California Republican Party spokeswoman. "And if they don't behave, we have a system to handle that."
Sheriff's and police equipment is also parked in a staging area near the hotel -- ready to prevent a melee.
"If we do see it get heated, we'll get in between them as a buffer," Burlingame Police Lt. Jay Keily said.
Every law enforcement agency in San Mateo County will also have officers deployed to the area to keep protesters from spilling onto Old Bayshore Boulevard or Highway 101, next to the hotel.
"It's possible traffic may be impacted along Bayshore Boulevard or in the City of Burlingame," Keily said. "We hope drivers are mindful that there may be a lot of pedestrians walking about."
Supporters as well as protesters showed up at Trump’s Costa Mesa event Thursday, where he kicked off his California campaign.
Fresh from sweeping all five primary states this week, Trump will be joined this weekend by Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz — who will be speaking Saturday at noon — and his newly-named running mate, former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, who is slotted to keynote Saturday's dinner banquet.
Presidential candidate Gov. John Kacish, who has so far led a lackluster campaign, will be speaking at Friday’s dinner banquet.
Just Wednesday, former House Speaker John Boehner called Cruz “Lucifer in the flesh.”
“I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a b___in my life,” Cruz told a group of students at Stanford.
In response, Cruz said: “When John Boehner calls me Lucifer, he's not directing that at me. He's directing that at you.”
Boehner described Trump as his “golfing and texting buddy.”
Protestors at Google, asking company to pull support of California Republican Convention. pic.twitter.com/F6maAcBArc — scott budman (@scottbudman) April 28, 2016
#Trump protester and supporter confront each other before rally in Costa Mesa pic.twitter.com/ju1E0mhNfX — Gina Ferazzi (@GinaFerazzi) April 28, 2016
Spotted outside the @realDonaldTrump rally in Costa Mesa: "Kids for Trump" pic.twitter.com/R2EJZKofd0 — Ben Bergman (@thebenbergman) April 29, 2016
