Protesters in Minneapolis harassed and spat on Donald Trump supporters Friday night as they left a private fundraiser for the Republican nominee, with tensions growing so strong that local police were needed to escort attendees to safety.
Authorities had to push back the shouting demonstrators as they jostled attendees and threw paper at them while leaving the Minneapolis Convention Center, The Star Tribune reports.
According to video posted by the website, protesters yelled and shouted obscenities at the attendees, while others hurled paper and other objects. Some could be seen throwing punches.
Minneapolis Police needed to escort the Trump supporters in and out of the Convention Center's lobby because of the protesters, Sgt. Catherine Michal said.
No arrests were made or injuries reported, but graffiti was found on the walls inside the Convention Center, along with other minor damage, she said.
The protests began with a dozen people marching around the building before the event, but the crowd grew larger and unruly by the time it was over several hours later, according to the report.
The fundraiser, with tickets costing from $1,000 per person to $100,000 a couple, was closed to the media. Trump’s speech was broadcast from someone inside the center via the live-streaming app Periscope.
"If I could win a state like Minnesota, the path is a whole different thing," Trump said, the Star Tribune reports. "It becomes a much, much different race.
"We're going to give it our greatest shot," he said.
The Gopher State last went Republican in 1972, when President Richard Nixon defeated George McGovern.
While many top Minnesota Republicans did not attend the fundraiser, former U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann did.
"People want to live, mind their own business and have a good job — and I think that’s something Donald Trump understands," she told the Star Tribune heading into the center.
"He’s a common-sense guy, not into political correctness," she added. "He has turned businesses around, and that’s what he wants to do with the country."