Anti-Trump Protesters Set Fires and Threw Rocks at Cops Last Night in New Mexico

Violent protests erupted outside a Donald Trump rally in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Tuesday evening, with demonstrators who oppose the presumptive Republican nominee throwing rocks and bottles at police, burning Trump merchandise, and blocking the streets outside the convention center where the event was held.

Police on horseback and many clad in riot gear attempted to push the protesters back from security barricades that had been set up outside the venue. Several officers sustained injuries "as a result of being hit by rocks" and at least one protester was arrested, the Albuquerque Police Department said on Twitter.

Albuquerque police denied reports that they deployed tear gas to disperse the crowds, saying it was only smoke that filled the air.

Watch: Protesters steal Trump merchandise and light it on fire just before first clashes with police. — Jacob Rascon (@Jacobnbc)May 25, 2016

More: The moment protesters started attacking police, throwing chairs, rocks, water, and a gate at them. — Jacob Rascon (@Jacobnbc)May 25, 2016

Protesters keep throwing rocks at police, officers respond with smoke canisters, push forward. — Jacob Rascon (@Jacobnbc)May 25, 2016

Local activist groups organized the protest to demonstrate their opposition to Trump and his anti-immigrant rhetoric in a state where nearly half the population is Hispanic.

One group posted an invitation on Facebook to a "peaceful rally" to "denounce the wave of hate, division and discrimination that's been spreading against all minorities and vulnerable groups in our country."

Hundreds of protesters yelled "walk of shame" at Trump supporters as they entered the venue, according to NBC News. Others waved Mexican flags and carried signs that read "Trump makes America hate again" and "immigrants welcome."

Inside the Albuquerque Convention Center, Trump delivered a speech that lasted more than an hour and featured many of his favorite attacks against mostly female targets. He called Hillary Clinton a "lowlife," and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren "a total failure."

"I will never say this but she screams and drives me crazy," Trump said about Clinton. "I can't listen."

He also went after New Mexico's Republican governor, Susana Martinez, for "not doing her job," blaming her for the state's economic issues and criticizing her willingness to accept Syrian refugees.

Martinez is the country's first female Hispanic governor and has frequently been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick. But she has yet to endorse Trump, and has said privately that she is offended by his stance on immigration and his proposal to build a wall on the Mexico-US border, according to the Washington Post.

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