When President Donald Trump's motorcade arrived at the St. Charles Convention Center on Wednesday afternoon, it was met with a lot of handmade cardboard signs and shouting.
A crowd of approximately 150 people showed up outside the space where Trump came to speak to an invite-only audience about tax reform. The president gave his speech at about 2:30 p.m., but protesters and supporters alike started arriving as early as 11 a.m. to make their voices heard.
Police closed down the portion of nearby Fairgrounds Road that crosses the highway and cordoned off a large perimeter around the building with yellow caution tape. Some officers were equipped with riot gear, including shields and batons. They mostly worked to keep people on the sidewalks, forming a line in the middle of Veterans Memorial Parkway, a portion of which was also closed to traffic.
The protesters on site outnumbered the supporters by about three to one. There were some heated exchanges between the two sides, but nothing that spilled over into violence or serious conflict. The crowd dispersed by about 4 p.m. after Trump's motorcade left the area.
RFT was on the scene throughout. Click through to see the photos Daniel Hill and Danny Wicentowski captured from St. Charles.
When President Donald Trump's motorcade arrived at the St. Charles Convention Center on Wednesday afternoon, it was met with a lot of handmade cardboard signs and shouting.
A crowd of approximately 150 people showed up outside the space where Trump came to speak to an invite-only audience about tax reform. The president gave his speech at about 2:30 p.m., but protesters and supporters alike started arriving as early as 11 a.m. to make their voices heard.
Police closed down the portion of nearby Fairgrounds Road that crosses the highway and cordoned off a large perimeter around the building with yellow caution tape. Some officers were equipped with riot gear, including shields and batons. They mostly worked to keep people on the sidewalks, forming a line in the middle of Veterans Memorial Parkway, a portion of which was also closed to traffic.
The protesters on site outnumbered the supporters by about three to one. There were some heated exchanges between the two sides, but nothing that spilled over into violence or serious conflict. The crowd dispersed by about 4 p.m. after Trump's motorcade left the area.
RFT was on the scene throughout. Click through to see the photos Daniel Hill and Danny Wicentowski captured from St. Charles.
November 29, 2017
