In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a man was arrested at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump last week for attempting to hang a banner to protest Trump’s policies. Stephen A. Weiss, 36, from Pittsburgh, was charged with misdemeanor offenses of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest following the incident at the Trump rally on Friday.
The police chief of Johnstown, Richard Pritchard, reported that Weiss had planned to display a banner made of a bed sheet with a message against Trump’s policies. However, the specific wording on the banner was not disclosed as arena staff had disposed of it. Weiss expressed his disagreement with Trump’s policies to a detective, according to Pritchard.
It was revealed that Weiss pretended to have a foot injury and was carrying a tube of glue in a metal crutch while at the rally. The arrest affidavit stated that Weiss rushed onto the arena floor, climbed onto the media stage, and shouted towards the main stage where President Trump was speaking. He refused to release himself from steel barricade fencing, leading to the use of force by law enforcement, as mentioned in the charging document.
Weiss declined to comment on the situation when contacted by phone, citing that he was consulting legal counsel. A man who was with Weiss at the rally claimed to be unaware of Weiss’ intentions and was not charged. Apart from disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, Weiss also faced a charge of disrupting a public meeting and was questioned by the Secret Service before being released.
Following the incident, a Trump campaign spokesman did not immediately provide a statement. Security measures at Trump rallies have been under increased scrutiny since an incident in July when a gunman fired at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulting in stricter security protocols being implemented at political events. Weis is scheduled for a court hearing on October 9.
