Assault at Trump Tower: Tycoon's security guard steals immigrant protester's sign and punches him in the FACE as cameras roll
- Protesters gathered outside Trump Tower on Thursday, where Donald Trump was making a pledge not to run as a third-party candidate
- Mexican immigrant Efraín Galicia, 50, was holding up a sign reading 'Make America Racist Again' - mocking Trump's campaign slogan
- In video from the protests, a Trump security guard is seen taking the sign away and walking back into the tower when Galicia grabs him from behind
- The security guard then turns around and slaps Galicia in the face
- Both parties claim the other was the aggressor and have said they are going to press charges
Donald Trump says the Latinos love him, but it appears the Republican presidential hopeful doesn't have much love for the Latinos protesting outside of his Manhattan skyscraper.
On Thursday, one of the Donald's security guards was caught on video stealing a protester's sign outside of Trump Tower and then slapping the Mexican immigrant in the face when the man tried to take it back.
Efraín Galicia, a 50-year-old Mexican immigrant who has been living in the U.S. for the past 30 years, was part of a larger group of Hispanics who gathered outside of Trump Tower Thursday afternoon to protest a speech Trump was giving inside.
Scuffle: A Trump security guard was caught on camera throwing a slap at a Mexican immigrant who was protesting outside of Trump Tower on Thursday
Freedom of speech: Mexican immigrant Efraín Galicia, 50 (right, in blue), got into a fight with a Trump security guard on Thursday, after the security guard stole his banner reading 'Make America Racist Again'
Pushing: Video of the tussle shows Galicia grabbing a guard from behind and then that guard turning to slap him. Galicia then falls back a few feet, and another guard (pictured above) steps in to hold him back
Making their voices heard: Above, some of the other protesters gathered outside Trump Tower on Thursday
Galicia was holding up a sign reading 'Make America Racist Again' - a play on Trump's campaign slogan, when cameras caught one of the Trump security guards ripping it away and then heading towards the entrance to the Midtown tower.
The video, filmed by NY1 Noticias, shows Galicia following the security guard and then grabbing him behind, in an apparent attempt to get his sign back
The security guard then turns and slaps Galicia, causing the man to lose his footing and step several feet back.
Another security guard intervenes and tries to hold Galicia back and the two struggle as photographers circle to document the tussle.
'They pushed me around,' Galicia told the New York Post, after the fight. 'We brought all our banners. We know the law. We know we can protest along the sidewalk.'
The scuffle started when the security guard was seen yanking away Galicia's sign and heading back into the building
Galicia followed the guard and then grabbed him from behind in an apparent attempt to get the sign back
That's when the security guard turns and takes a swing at Galicia
Stunned by the hit, Galicia falls back several steps and into the hands of another security guard, who tries to keep him away from the first guard
The two men tussle as Galicia tries to get free from the second security guard's grasp
'They pushed me around,' Galicia later told the New York Post. 'We brought all our banners. We know the law. We know we can protest along the sidewalk.'
Galicia compared the incident to last month, when Hispanic reporter Jorge Ramos was escorted out of a Trump press conference when he tried to ask a question about immigration.
'It’s like the way his boss behaves: pushing out Ramos from Univision,' Galicia said. 'These guys, his servants, they think they can do the same thing.'
In an interview with the New York Times, Trump's spokesmen said that it was the protester who was the aggressor and that they would likely be pressing charges.
Galicia also said he would be pressing charges but as of Thursday evening, the NYPD had received 'no formal complaint,' according to the Washington Post.
A Trump spokesman also issued a statement to Daily Mail Online, writing: 'The protesters outside Trump Tower, many of whom were dressed in Klu Klux Klan outfits, were harassing people on the street. A member of the Trump security team reacted, but only after first being attacked from behind and assaulted. The authorities were contacted immediately, a complaint was filed and we will be pursuing legal action against this individual.'
Among the other protesters gathered outside Trump Tower on Thursday, were a few wearing Ku Klux Klan hoods and hats while preaching against Trump's immigration policies.
Trump says if he is voted president, he will build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to keep illegal immigrants from crossing into the country.
One protester held up a picture of a Native American in traditional clothing reading: 'This is a real Native American.' A corresponding image of Trump read: 'This is a real f****** immigrant' and 'Go back to Europe!'
Elephant: Trump was speaking at Trump Tower on Thursday to announce his pledge not to run as a third-party candidate in the upcoming election
War of words: The 'Make America Racist Again' sign was mocking Trump's campaign slogan: 'Make America Great Again'
Some of the protesters held up poles affixed with arrows reading 'Racist' and pointing inside the Trump Tower
Another wore a sombrero and waves the Mexican flag in front of the Midtown Manhattan skyscraper
Trump says if he is voted president, he will build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to keep illegal immigrants from crossing into the country
CNN captured video of some of the protesters shouting their issues with Trump.
'We need to spread the philosophy of the Aztec people!' one of the protesters yelled. 'We need to spread the ideas of the Mayan people!'
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'These people built America,' another protester said, according to Park Slope Patch. 'If you don’t believe that, then take these skyscrapers and shove them up your a**.'
While leading in the huge field of Republican candidates, Trump is not at all popular with Hispanics in America, despite his insistence that 'the Latinos love Trump'. According to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll published earlier this week, 82 per cent of Hispanics view Trump unfavorably, with 68 per cent feeling strongly so.
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