{"id":158719,"date":"2016-06-08T11:05:02","date_gmt":"2016-06-08T17:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=158719"},"modified":"2016-10-12T13:10:56","modified_gmt":"2016-10-12T19:10:56","slug":"political-fallout-from-trumps-albuquerque-rally-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2016\/06\/political-fallout-from-trumps-albuquerque-rally-continues\/","title":{"rendered":"Political fallout from Trump\u2019s Albuquerque rally continues"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two weeks after presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump\u2019s rally rattled Albuquerque<\/a>, fallout from the explosive event drapes the local political scene.<\/p>\n

\"Albuquerque\"<\/a>

Will Keightley \/ Creative Commons<\/p>

Albuquerque at sunset.\u00a0(photo cc info<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

The issue dominated a good portion of the June 6 session of the Albuquerque City Council, where concerned citizens, city councilors and the administration of Mayor Richard Berry all weighed in on an evening that has been framed as a \u201criot\u201d by many media outlets but challenged as such by many speakers at this week\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n

Albuquerque City Council Vice President Klarissa Pe\u00f1a got the ball rolling on the Trump affair when she seized the opportunity of Albuquerque Police Department (APD) Chief Gorden Eden\u2019s presence at Monday\u2019s meeting.\u00a0Pe\u00f1a remarked that some protesters told her about being cornered by police outside the Albuquerque Convention Center, where Trump spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was disappointed how a peaceful protest turned against our community,\u201d Pena said.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless commending Eden and his officers for their performance the evening of May 24, Pe\u00f1a asked Albuquerque\u2019s top cop if he had a response to her concerns — a request Eden declined. Pe\u00f1a lamented \u201cthe black eye\u201d Albuquerque got nationally after trashing, rock-throwing and other acts of vandalism followed a peaceful protest attended by upwards of 1,000 people, according to different reports.<\/p>\n

Testimonies and statements at the June 6 meeting actually painted a picture of two events — the peaceful protest that began hours before the night fell and the violent outbursts that transpired later on. The latter episode \u201cdidn\u2019t help anybody\u2019s cause,\u201d Pe\u00f1a insisted, adding she talked to police officers including some who \u201cfended off protesters\u201d but ironically were in agreement with the anti-Trump demonstration.<\/p>\n