Trump supporters, protesters clash in San Diego; 35 arrested

Washington, May 28 

Donald Trump brought his message of walls and deportations to the doorstep of America's busiest border crossing on Friday as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee greeted supporters in San Diego, amid one of the largest counter-protests organised against him.

The scene inside the San Diego Convention Center during Trump's speech was relatively placid, while outside demonstrators opposed to his controversy-ridden White House bid marched and chanted, carrying signs criticising his rhetoric against illegal immigration.

Waving US and Mexican flags, more than 1,000 people turned out for anti-trump rallies in San Diego, a city on the US-Mexico border whose San Ysidro port of entry sees nearly 300,000 people a day cross legally between the countries.

San Diego is considered a binational city by many who live and work on opposite sides of the border, and about a third of the city's population is Latino.

During Trump’s speech on Friday, some protesters outside the convention centre scaled a barrier and lobbed water bottles at police. One man was pulled off the wall and arrested as others were surrounded by fellow protesters and backed away from the confrontation.

After the convention center emptied, clusters of Trump supporters and anti-Trump demonstrators began to mix in the streets, many exchanging shouted epithets and some throwing water bottles at one another.

Police in riot gear declared the gathering an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse, herding the crowd out of the city's hotel and restaurant-filled Gaslamp Quarter.

San Diego police said on Twitter that 35 arrests were made during the protest. No property damage or injuries were reported, the police said. "Fantastic job on handling the thugs who tried to disrupt our very peaceful and well attended rally," Trump tweeted to police afterwards.

Trump has weathered months of blowback from all ends of the political spectrum for his immigration policy, which calls for the building of a wall along the US-Mexico border and deporting the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants who reside in the United States.

While Trump is running unopposed in the June 7 California Republican primary, his stance on border control and deportation seems unlikely to resonate with the electorate at large in a state where political fallout from a Republican-backed crackdown on illegal immigrants 20 years ago cost the party dearly.  — Reuters

No debate with Sanders

Shortly before taking the stage in San Diego, Donald Trump issued a statement ruling out a one-on-one debate with second-place Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders killing off a potentially high-ratings television spectacle

The suggested debate, an idea first raised during a talk show appearance by the New York billionaire, would have sidelined  Hillary Clinton but given Sanders a huge platform ahead of California primary

A day after saying he would welcome a Sanders debate, Trump called the idea 'inappropriate', declaring that he should only face the Democrats’ final choice

200 jail beds reserved for Republican convention 

The US city that would host the crucial Republican National Convention in July has reserved 200 beds at the jail anticipating protests during the mega meet that would officially nominate Donald Trump as the party's presidential candidate

 According to a local media outlet - Cleveland.com - the city which would host the GOP convention in July, Cuyahoga County, will keep 200 beds open at the County Jail for those who may be arrested during the Republican National Convention.

 The county will be paid up to $250,000 by the city of Cleveland to house those arrested from July 16 through July 23, according to a proposal submitted to the county's Board of Control, which meets on May 31

Raises $6 m in first fund raising event

Donald Trump has raised $6 million and received pledges for another $4 million in his first fundraising event after emerging as presumptive Republican presidential nominee

Trump, who self-funded his primary election campaign by putting more than $40 million from his own pocket, has said he intends to raise $1 billion