TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Arizona leaders are calling for peace as the City of Phoenix prepares for protests during President Trump’s visit next Tuesday
Tucson area Congressman Raul Grijalva is calling for peaceful protests--which he will attend--- in response to the President's reaction to the Charlottesville disturbances, and policies he promotes.
Congressmember Grijalva says white supremacist felt comfortable marching for racism because of President Trump's own words about race and immigration.
"I think they now feel that they have a legitimate ally whatever Trump says, the door's been opened and it is up to decent people in a rightful way and in a political way put them back on the fringe where they belong."
Now Grijalva says he plans to be in Phoenix to protest the President's appearance there on Tuesday. He says the protest needs to be peaceful and says opposition in Charlottesville should not have brought weapons and used them.
KGUN9 reporter Craig Smith asked: “Do you think it's appropriate to stand up at that level where you're getting physical?”
Grijalva: “No, absolutely not and that's why I said earlier that the tenets of..certainly for the opposition have to be non-violence, discipline and a full-throated opposition, but opposition clean of violence and clean of the kind of attacks we say in Charlottesville."
On KGUN9's Facebook page we asked how many people were and were not in favor of an Anti Trump protest. Many comments attacked Congressman Grijalva and his stand. But by late afternoon Thursday the votes favored a protest: 639 for, 377 against---about a 62-37 percent split in favor of protesting.
