Protesters demontrate across the street from Donald Trump’s town hall at the Columbus Convention Center on August 1.

Protesters demontrate across the street from Donald Trump’s town hall at the Columbus Convention Center on August 1.

After a Donald Trump town hall reached capacity Monday afternoon, about 150 Trump supporters who had been turned away milled around the vendors of campaign merchandise outside the Columbus Convention Center. Trump falsely told his supporters that thousands were turned away “for political reasons.”

One merchandise hawker tried to turn the setback into an opportunity. “$5 off all Trump gear if you couldn’t get in!” he shouted over a bullhorn. Then he started to heckle protesters across the street who held signs saying “Wall off Trump,”  “Love Not Hate,” “Black Lives Matter,” and “No Más Trump.”

Protest organizer Rubén Castilla Herrera also had a bullhorn. “We’re black, brown, white, queer, straight, immigrants, women, men,” he said. “We’re a diverse community, and we’re to tell you that Trump is not welcome here!”

A Trump supporter grabbed the hawker’s megaphone. “How can you say that black lives matter?” she said. “All lives matter!”

A lively debate ensued across High Street. “Love trumps hate!” the protesters chanted. “Hillary’s a hater!” shouted a Trump supporter.

The hawker finally got his megaphone back. “Fuck the protesters,” he said. “Get your Trump gear!”

The Latinx/Chicanx political organization Mijente held similar Wall off Trump protests at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and in Toledo last week. “We are not about hate here in Columbus,” said Mijente organizer Christine Santos. “We also want to be in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the fight for justice here in Columbus.”

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