BURLINGAME (KRON) — The Republican party’s presidential frontrunner Donald Trump is the Bay Area for the state’s GOP convention on Friday afternoon. But crowds are already gathering to greet and protest the controversial real estate mogul.
Thousands of protesters announced on Facebook that they were either interested or planning on attending protests against Trump outside the convention at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport at 1333 Old Bayshore Highway in Burlingame.
The city has called on dozens of police officers from agencies throughout San Mateo County to help with security. Trump’s campaign events are attracting large, and sometimes violent, demonstrations nationwide including Thursday night’s raucous rally in Orange County that led to 20 arrests.
“Planning efforts are focused on guaranteeing that protesters are freely able to exercise their First Amendment rights, while ensuring the safety of both the protesters as well as those attending various events at the convention,” Burlingame police said.
All three remaining Republican presidential candidates will speak this weekend as the convention continues with a dinner banquet this evening featuring Ohio Gov. John Kasich and a lunch banquet on Saturday with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Former Hewelett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, recently announced as Cruz’s running mate, will host a dinner banquet on Saturday night.Mobile users click here to view gallery Bay City News contributed to this report.