Trump: Albuquerque Protesters “thugs flying Mexican flag”

Donald Trump’s campaign stop in Albuquerque escalated into a violent clash between supporters and protesters outside the convention center.

Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted the protesters outside his rally were, “thugs who were flying the Mexican flag.”

Tuesday night, protesters tried to derail his speech, but Trump countered he had all night and that it would be “a love fest.”

Some protesters were removed from the auditorium and the crowd responded with cheers, chants of “USA” and boos targeted at those who were disrupting the rally.

Outside, protesters charged police horse patrols and left the barricades where officers had them corralled earlier.

Protesters charged police as officers in riot gear and mounted patrol units worked to push back a rush of protesters outside venue.

The protest grew more tense as night fell, forcing police to fire smoke grenades and some pepper spray into the crowd as the protesters became violent. After a few moments, the protesters went back at police. Some threw burning T-shirts, plastic bottles and other items at officers and overturned trash cans and knocked down barricades.

The unruly crowd overran police barricades earlier in the night and overturned trash cans as Trump spoke to some 4,000 supporters inside the Albuquerque Convention Center.