NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Thousands of President Trump supporters gathered for his Friday night rally in Hampton Roads — but some were out in the rain since before dawn at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.
Here are the latest updates:
11:50 p.m. — WAVY News has reached out to Newport News Police to see if any protesters were arrested Friday night and if so, how many.
Stay with WAVY.com for updates.
11:20 p.m. — The protesters are dispersing into groups as they walk to their vehicles.
10:40 p.m. — Police appeared to take a person into custody.
Some protesters in the BLM 757 livestream say a woman passed out or was injured. It’s unclear what happened.
Police are monitoring to ensure protesters stay on the curb.
10:30 p.m. — Police formed a line to prevent the protesters from crossing Jefferson Avenue.
A police spokeswoman said so far, no arrests have been made. Officers are trying to control and monitor the situation.
10 p.m. — A livestream from Black Lives Matter 757 shows protesters marching down Jefferson Avenue.
9:40 p.m. — Black Lives Matter 757 was walking around outside the rally around 9:30 p.m.
Police also say they will be closing Bland Boulevard eastbound to accommodate significant pedestrian traffic leaving the airport after the rally.
9:30 p.m. — Trump announced he will be officially nominating his pick for the Supreme Court justice to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Saturday. Some sources say it will be Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Also, Trump said he is extending a moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling to Virginia. Congresswoman Elaine Luria, Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Tim Kaine asked him to do so earlier this week.
He announced he was doing it in North Carolina earlier this week.
9:15 p.m. — A Newport News Police spokeswoman confirms the department’s crisis intervention team is there as a preventive measure and no violence had broken out at that time.
9:05 p.m. — A WAVY News photographer on the scene outside the Trump rally says there are about 30 to 50 protesters on scene.
A police crisis intervention team is also on scene. As of 9:05 p.m., no violence had broken out.
9 p.m. — President Donald Trump arrived at his campaign rally and started speaking on time at 9 p.m.
8:45 p.m. — WAVY’s Brett Hall reports the president’s plane just landed at the Newport News airport.
8 p.m. — Vice President Mike Pence took the stage around 8:15 p.m., highlighting the importance of the Tidewater region in the election this November.
Meanwhile, protesters outside the airport carried Black Lives Matter flags and signs.
7 p.m. — Newport News officials said the parking lot at the airport was at capacity. Motorists should also expect significant delays in this area, particularly on Jefferson Avenue, Bland Boulevard, McManus Boulevard, Brick Kiln Boulevard, and Interstate 64 eastbound and westbound.
WAVY’s Brett Hall reports about half of the attendees were seen wearing masks. Initial crowd estimates of 4,000 attendees appear to be accurate, if not an underestimate.
6 p.m. — At the entrance, Antonio Thompson, a regular speaker at Newport News City Council meetings welcomed all at the main entrance to the airport with a Trump 2020 sign.
Hot topics
4:30 p.m. —Those who showed up early said they were there to show support but also to call attention to some controversial issues.
Top of mind: The vacancy on the Supreme Court following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Glenn Stiles of Chesapeake is attending his second Trump rally in as many weeks. He says the seat needs to be filled before Election Day in November.
“I think it’s his duty to do it. Like we said last week, fill that seat,” Stiles said “If the shoe was on the other foot, I think the other party, or whoever was in the White House, would do the same.”
Annette Truelove of Charles City agreed.
“It’s of the upmost importance that we get constitutional conservatives on that court.”
In between the T-shirts, the hats and the bobble head dolls, the conversation moved to deeper topics like Roe v. Wade. Truelove isn’t bothered by Trump’s past, when he was a supporter of abortion rights.
“Your position can change over time. Maybe he finally came to the Lord and he knows that abortion is wrong,” she said.
Just the opportunity to see the president in-person is enough for some to consider this a life-changing event.
“I am so excited, I don’t know what to do,” said Donna Skinner of Claremont. “I’m about to jump out of my skin. We want to be at the stage. We want to feel the breath of our president of the United States.”
Stay with WAVY.com for updates. WAVY’s Brett Hall is tweeting updates live.
