Three protesters were arrested Saturday before GOP presidential front runner Donald Trump took the stage at a campaign rally in Arizona.
Our sister station, KNXV-TV in Phoenix, showed protesters blocking a major highway with a couple Maricopa County Sheriff Deputies on scene.
#BREAKING - 3 arrests made in #TrumpRally protests @abc15
— Nick Ciletti (@NickCiletti) March 19, 2016
The protesters parked their cars in the middle of the road Saturday, unfurling banners with anti-Trump slogans and chanting "Trump is hate." The disruption caused a lengthy traffic backup, and drivers honked their horns in frustration.
Maricopa County Sheriff Deputy Joaquin Enriquez said officers asked the protesters to move and if they didn't comply, they will forcibly remove them.
.@realsheriffjoe: 3 protesters are in jail. If they think they're going to intimidate you, it's not gonna happen; not in this town
— azcentral (@azcentral) March 19, 2016
The disruption occurred well after large crowds lined up to get into the Fountain Hills rally, a Phoenix suburb where Trump was scheduled to speak alongside Arizona's revered Sherrif Joe Arpaio.
In an interview with CNN, Arpaio said he wanted to make sure Trump is safe, noting that he’s in his “backyard.” The sheriff lives in Fountain Hills.
“They (the protesters) have freedom of speech, but they’re not going to violate any laws,” Arpaio said.
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