It's not a surprise to say that Donald Trump was all over the news on Thursday--that happens every day.
On Thursday, Trump was expected at a rally being held in his honor at the Flynn Center in Burlington, Vermont. The theater has a capacity of 1,400 people, but the Trump campaign gave out 20,000 free tickets.
Police said ahead of the event that it would still go on because political speech is vital to our democracy.
Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo told the Burlington Free Press on Wednesday, "If Phish was holding a free concert at the Flynn and gave away 20,000 free tickets, we would cancel the event out of public safety concerns,” the chief said. “We are committed to accommodating the campaign because political speech is the very essence of the First Amendment."
On Thursday, people waiting in line for hours to enter the event. However, when the time came, only supporters were allowed in, according to those in attendance.
Ben Sarle, a journalist based in Burlington, said that there was even an announcement about what to do if a protester somehow got in:
And later, attendees tweeted that several people were escorted out by security for protesting inside.
You can watch his full speech from the Burlington rally at the bottom of this post.
Meanwhile, on Monday, a young man from West Hartford found out first hand that protesting at a Trump campaign rally can get ugly.
Kiernan Majerus- Collins, 20, is now front and center of a viral video a Trump rally in Lowell, Massachusetts on Monday. It shows him and his friends getting escorted out by police. Majerus-Collins was holding a sign that read "America is Always Great,” and his friend held a sign saying “God Bless President Obama.”
Majerus-Collins told FOX 61 about the incident.
“It didn't take long for folks around me to get agitated per say and start to go after me," Majerus-Collins said. "They started yelling at me, telling me to leave and move my sign. I asked some of them, "Do you disagree that America is a good country?” They said “yes” and then grabbed the sign and ripped it up and threatened to grab me.”
Trump was quick to react as his speech was being interrupted. Majerus-Collins says, “He turned around and looked up and started to pontificate about his approach to protestors.”
Trump asked the crowd, “Friend or foe?” Majerus-Collins says, “All the people around us shouted 'FOES!'"
Police then escorted Majerus-Collins and his friends out of the rally.
Majerus-Collins, who is home on winter break from Bates College, says “I think looking back, it demonstrates just the kind of character of people supporting Trump and the campaign he's running.”
He says he’s been getting a ton of messages on social media, both positive and negative. “There have been a few death threats, negative comments going after me personally and my family,” said Majerus-Collins.
Majerus-Collins has attended other Trump rallies before with no issues. In June, he held a sign in New Hampshire that said, “He held a sign in New Hampshire that said “Mexican People Are Not Criminals.” He says it’s very likely he will attend more.