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Protesters in Wheeling, St. Clairsville State Their Opposition to Donald Trump

Photo by Alec Berry Protesters march along 16th Street on their way to WesBanco Arena to demonstrate outside a fundraiser for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

WHEELING — The polarization of the 2016 presidential race took center stage outside WesBanco Arena Tuesday as Donald Trump protesters and supporters clashed — mostly peacefully — while a private fundraiser for the presumptive Republican nominee took place inside.

A number of demonstrators — some of whom traveled from the Wheeling protest — also appeared at Trump’s public rally at Ohio University Eastern in St. Clairsville a couple of hours later.

The protesters drew attention to what they see as xenophobic language by Trump along the campaign trail, his attitude toward women and his plan to build a wall along the United States’ border with Mexico forbidding Mexicans from entering the country. They chanted “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA!” “Trump’s a joke, Bob (Murray)’s a joke, they don’t care about your jobs!” and “USA! USA! USA!” while fundraiser attendees exited the arena in a steady stream.

Attendees returned these jabs with remarks of “Get a job!”

Robert E. Murray, chairman, president and CEO of Murray Energy, hosted the event, with more than 1,000 in attendance.

“There are a lot of reasons to be against Donald Trump. Everything from his sexism, his racist policies, his denial of climate change, cutting taxes for the rich. I could go on and on,” Amy Barnhart, protest co-organizer, said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in a big city or a small town, Trump’s racist policies don’t work for the people of Wheeling. They don’t work for the people of the world.”

Barnhart said people should expect better of politicians.

Owens Brown, West Virginia president of the NAACP, read an address to the crowd, saying he’s often been asked by white people if voting for Trump makes them racist. He said he believes it does.

Prior to the protest, people gathered near the J.B. Chambers Recreation Park in East Wheeling. There, Barnhart encouraged protesters to state their minds peacefully. Co-organizer Dan Persina told everyone to expect dissent once downtown. He told people to cheer, yet avoid profanity.

Meanwhile, Jeff McConnell, a Trump supporter, said he’s worked as a firefighter and emergency medical technician for 25 years, and he’s served people of all cultural backgrounds. He said he rejects no one.

“I don’t get why these people are yelling,” McConnell said. “I was walking down the street, and one guy yells to me that I’m making a bad choice because of what’s on my shirt and my comment to him was, ‘This is America. It’s called freedom. It’s my choice. It’s my freedom to make that choice, right or wrong.'”

A protester interrupted McConnell, leading to a verbal argument which grew tense before things eventually calmed down.

About 30 people ultimately gathered outside WesBanco Arena, pressed against a police barricade. Several snipers edged along a nearby rooftop, keeping their eyes on the scene.

Martha Polinski of St. Clairsville attended with her 15-year-old daughter. She said her daughter shouldn’t have to grow up in a country where Trump leads, and makes demeaning comments toward women.

The protests continued across the river in St. Clairsville, where Trump made a public appearance before a crowd of about 4,000 at OUE.

St. Clairsville resident Bonnie Trouten said she attended the rally to protest Trump’s candidacy because she finds the Republican presidential hopeful frightening.

“He scares me,” she said. “I think he’s like a time bomb, ready to explode.”

Patrick Abboud, also of St. Clairsville, said he is a Bernie Sanders supporters and is disappointed in the nationwide Republican support for Trump.

“I’ve never really been into politics, but to me it’s startling to see what it says about America as a whole that we gravitate to a leader who preaches hatred more than anything else,” Abboud said. “And the fact that we would more welcome him in our arms as a president over someone who is peaceful like Bernie Sanders just says a lot about our loss of morality.”

Janell Hunter and Jennifer Compston-Strough contributed to this story.

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