HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump last week took an unexpected turn when Stephen A. Weiss, a 36-year-old protestor from Pittsburgh, was arrested for causing disturbance. Weiss had planned to hang a banner to protest Trump’s policies at the rally, but his actions led to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Johnstown Police Chief Richard Pritchard stated that authorities were uncertain of the banner’s content as it was discarded by arena staff. Weiss, however, expressed his disagreement with Trump’s policies. According to Pritchard, Weiss pretended to have a foot injury and hid glue in a metal crutch as part of his plan.
During the rally, Weiss ran onto the arena floor, jumped onto the media stage, and shouted towards the main stage where President Trump was speaking. Despite several attempts to restrain him, Weiss continued to resist, leading to his arrest and subsequent questioning by the Secret Service.
Weiss has a court hearing scheduled for October 9 and was charged with disrupting a public meeting, among other offenses. The incident occurred shortly after Trump criticized major media outlets for their coverage, emphasizing the charged atmosphere of political events.
The incident at the rally underlines the heightened security measures at Trump events, especially since a previous incident where the former president was shot at during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Security has since been tightened to ensure the safety of attendees and officials.
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