GOP front-runner Donald Trump’s opinions can be controversial. It is just such controversial speech, not polite conversation, that the First Amendment was designed to protect.

But on Friday night, thousands of protestors gathered in Chicago to speak out against Trump’s rally there, with many intent on putting a stop to the rally itself. The protests, which started out peacefully, took an ugly and violent turn, causing police to get involved. After speaking with law enforcement, Trump decided to cancel and postpone the rally in an effort to protect the safety of the attendees.

Some protesters were heard chanting: “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA!”

Trump said neither the tone and rhetoric of his campaign nor his supporters were to blame for any violent incidents at his rallies.

“I just don’t want to see people get hurt, any people, on either side,” said Trump in an interview Friday night with Greta Van Susteren on Fox News after the event was cancelled. “I don’t use hate speech. I mean, we have a country and the country has to be — there’s tremendous division in our country. I’ve seen it, I’ve been watching it, and I’m witness to it, and something has to be done.”

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“I have the right to speak and they have the right to hear and listen,” Trump told also told Sean Hannity of Fox News.

Trump addressed the anger among his supporters in regard to the direction of the country and the economy but said they are not angry people.

There are indications that the attempt to suppress speech was coordinated by Leftist groups.

It has been reported that MoveOn.org, a progressive group, had a hand in coordinating and organizing the protests in Chicago. Ilya Sherman, executive director of MoveOn.org, spoke about Friday night’s events.

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“Mr. Trump and the Republican leaders who support him and his hate-filled rhetoric should be on notice after tonight’s (Friday night’s) events,” he said. “These protests are a direct result of the violence that has occurred at Trump rallies and that have been encouraged by Trump himself from the stage,” he added.

What’s more, Ja’Mal Green, a prominent Bernie Sanders supporter in Chicago, encouraged other supporters on Facebook to get tickets for the Trump rally and to shut it down. Coordinated chants of “Bernie” could be heard among the protestors.

Trump condemned the protests that caused him to cancel a rally in Chicago and referred to them as a “planned attack.” “We’re all together and we want to get along with everybody, but when they have organized professionally-staged wise guys, we’ve got to fight back, we’ve got to fight back,” Trump said Saturday in Dayton, Ohio, at a campaign rally.

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Later in the event at Dayton, the Secret Service had to rush the stage after a scare from a protestor in the crowd.

The Chicago protests came after a series of violent incidents that made headlines at Trump events this week.