Dozens of people attended a meeting at the Rockhurst Community Center in Kansas City to discuss how protestors were handled by police at the Donald Trump rally March 12.
One of those people was UMKC student Corey Fisher.
"I was one of the people who disrupted but I was also one of the people who did my disruption and was actively going toward the exit without anyone having to escort me out, without anyone having to pull me out and I was met with force for no reason," Fisher said. "One basically putting me in a chokehold and the other two each grabbing an arm."
When asked why he thinks the climate at the presidential candidate's rallies is so combative, Fisher explained that in his opinion, "Trump sort of epitomizes or represents some of the most blatant hate that we've seen from any candidate in recent times."
Salam Alshimaily with the Progressive Youth Organization was at the meeting on behalf of April Foster, the woman charged with punching a police horse.
"Because she didn't punch the horse. The charges are false. That's not what happened. Now I understand if she really did punch the horse, we would side with authorities. It's just the right thing to do," Alshimaily told 41 Action News. "There was no force used from our side. No force whatsoever." He wants to see the charges filed against April dropped and to find common ground with KCPD.
Missouri State Rep. Brandon Ellington served as the facilitator for the closed meeting. He declined our request for an interview.
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Dia Wall can be reached at dia.wall@kshb.com.
