Salah Abdeslam shot in the leg and captured alive by police commandosThe 26-year-old was wounded then 'retreated into a house in Molenbeek'Terror suspect was with two other men and one of the men 'may be dead'Abdeslam believed to have played a key role in November's Paris attacks Could have spent 'days, weeks or months' at the flat where he was foundSee more news on the Paris attacks at www.dailymail.co.uk/ParisAttacks By Julian Robinson and Jay Akbar and Jennifer Newton for MailOnline Published: 08:32 EST, 18 March 2016 | Updated: 14:34 EST, 18 March 2016 The world's most wanted man, a prime suspect in the Paris terrorist attacks, has been wounded and captured in a dramatic police raid in Brussels.Salah Abdeslam, 26, was shot in the leg by police commandos following a four-month international manhunt and has been arrested in the district of Molenbeek in the Belgian capital. One of his accomplices may have been killed in the raid while another, who is still thought to be holed up in the flat, was wounded.'We got him,' France's minister for asylum and migration Theo Francken announced as a video of him being dragged away by police emerged.Footage showed a man in a white hoodie, reported to be Abdeslam, being wrestled to the floor by at least three armed officers - although this has not been independently verified.  Scroll down for video Further footage showed Abdeslam (pictured, in a white hoodie) being dragged away from the scene by armed police officers French television station RTL posted an image of the moment Abdeslam, who has been on the run for four months, was arrested Gun shots and explosions were heard while white smoke was seen in the area as police moved in on Abdeslam, who had been on the run for 126 days TV cameras captured a series of explosions (pictured) in the Molenbeek neighbourhood where Abdeslam was captured, after he had already been taken away A Belgian police dog handler holds back onlookers during the anti-terror operation in the Molenbeek Police with riot shields cordoned off the area and began evacuating locals as they continued their operation in the run down Brussels suburb following his capture.TV cameras filmed a series of explosions and the sound of fresh gunfire in the area at around 6.20pm, more than two hours after the arrest, as police continued to search for a third suspect in the area.Abdeslam's fingerprints were found at the scene of another police raid on a Brussels flat on Tuesday, prosecutors said earlier today.He was believed to have been involved in the Bataclan massacre during the slaughter of 130 people in Paris in November, was said to be one of the suspects who went on the run after a shoot-out.But he was tracked to a home in Molenbeek in a fresh raid conducted by police this afternoon. Special forces are understood to have been monitoring the house for at least 48 hours.It is understood grenades were used in the operation, which unfolded at about 4.30pm.Gun shots and explosions were heard while white smoke was seen in the area as police moved in on Abdeslam, who had been on the run for 126 days.  Emergency services were quick to arrive at the scene which was shut down by officers wearing heavy riot gear.  Salah Abdeslam (left), one of the most wanted men in Europe, has been wounded and caught by police (right, an officer at the scene of the raid) The police operation in the run down Brussels suburb of Molenbeek continued after Abdeslam's arrest Gun shots and explosions were heard while white smoke was seen in the area as police moved in on Abdeslam (officers at the scene during the operation) Policemen and dogs block a road near the scene of a police raid in the Molenbeek-Saint-Jean district in Brussels, TV cameras filmed a series of explosions and the sound of fresh gunfire in the area at around 6.20pm Police are continuing to search a nearby area for a third suspect who may have been wounded in today's raidAbdeslam was wounded, and then retreated into a house in Molenbeek with two men. At least one of the other men is wounded, and one may be dead, said the source.It is thought that Abdeslam suffered a 'flesh wound' after escaping Tuesday's raid before retreating to Molenbeek, where he was born and brought up. He has been taken to hospital.A French television station later posted an image of the moment the terror suspect was arrested.A lawyer for the families of those who lost their lives in the Paris massacre have demanded that he is extradited to France immediately. The prime minister of Belgium, Charles Michel, was seen rushing out of a European Council summit in Brussels as news of the raid broke.EU leaders are meeting in the Belgian capital, just five miles away from where the anti-terror operation was taking place in Molenbeek.  Francois Hollande, who is in Brussels for the EU summit, confirmed that today's police operation was linked to last November's attacks on Paris.   Masked policemen began evacuating locals after the siege on the extremist hideout in Molenbeek  Special operations police evacuate people from an area during a police raid in the Molenbeek Locals in Molenbeek were led away from the scene of the siege as an operation to find a third suspect went on into the evening Police officers guard an entrance of a school during a raid in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels Salah Abdeslam was shot in the leg by police commandos and has been arrested in the district of Molenbeek (pictured) in the Belgian capitalDespite Abdeslam's arrest, the police operation was continuing this evening and the army is on the scene, which is near two schools.Two men are still believed to be holed up in a building in the area and drones are being used as part of the police operation. Fire engines and ambulances were seen driving into the gated complex, which remains under armed police guard, and a helicopter hovered overhead.In addition to Abdeslam, the whereabouts of two Paris attack suspects remains unknown, including fellow Molenbeek resident Mohamed Abrini and a man known under the alias of Soufiane Kayal. The building is owned by the local municipality. The flat where he was arrested is believed to have been rented by the same person since 2009, according to RTBF. Criminal lawyer Sven Mary is said to have accepted the role of defending Abdeslam. He was contacted on Abdeslam's behalf as early as January this year, asking whether he would be willing to defend the terror suspect, it has been reported.It came after the Belgian lawyer told daily newspaper Le Soir in late December: 'If Salah Abdeslam begged me tomorrow, I would accept the role of being his lawyer.'  Two men are still believed to be holed up in a building in the area and drones are being used as part of the police operation (pictured, police at the scene) Belgian policemen stand guard in a street during a police action in the Molenbeek district of Brussels Abdeslam's fingerprints were found at the scene of another police raid on a Brussels flat on Tuesday (pictured, police and emergency services at the siege today) Emergency services were quick to arrive at the scene, which was shut down by officers wearing heavy riot gearBut the lawyer denied claims that he has already discussed the possibility with Abdeslam himself.'I have been in contact with someone from his immediate surroundings,' the lawyer said, reported Belgian news site Standaard.'I want to speak directly with Abdeslam. You must have some sort of contact with the ones you defend, there should be a mutual trust.'This afternoon, the White House revealed that the US had been helping French and Belgian authorities to boost security since November's Paris attacks, and that this would continue.White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House used its 'significant resources and significant capabilities' to assist the French and the Belgians.He added: 'They have taken steps to try to safeguard their country. We're going to continue to stay in close touch with them on this.'Salah's brother Brahim, who blew himself p in the November Paris attacks, was buried on Thursday in a Brussels cemetery.  A third man is thought to be holed up in a building in the area and drones are being used as part of the police operation Police at the scene of a security operation in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek in Brussels, Belgium Salah's brother Brahim, who died in the November Paris attacks which left 130 people dead, was buried Thursday in a Brussels cemeteryReferring to the police operation earlier this week, in which one Islamic gunman was shot dead by a police sniper, Belgian public broadcaster RTBF had said this morning: 'According to our information, it is more than likely that he is one of the two individuals who escaped during the shootout.' It was not the first time Abdeslam had evaded police.It is believed he stayed in Schaerbeek, Belgium, for some weeks following the attacks in the French capital before being tracked down by police today.Eric Van der Sypt said the fugitive may have been at the property for 'days, weeks or months'. Surveillance footage at a petrol station showed him returning by car to Belgium a day after the Paris attacks.He also avoided capture when French police checked his papers shortly before he was listed as wanted. Authorities had been searching for him ever since. Abdeslam was thought to have been the logistic coordinator who rented cars and equipped the gunmen and suicide bombers who targeted bars, restaurants and a music hall in Paris and may have taken part himself.  Police operation: The raid happened at this building which is close to two schools in Molenbeek, Brussels Police secure an area during a police raid. Despite Abdeslam's arrest, the police operation was continuing this evening and the army is on the sceneLast month a source close to the French inquiry said no DNA from Abdeslam had been found on a suicide belt discovered in the French capital. The explosive belt was found in a dustbin in the southern Parisian suburb of Montrouge on November 23.Telephone data placed Abdeslam in the same area just after the attacks - but the lack of DNA on the belt suggested that he had not worn it.Since mid-November, 11 people have been arrested and charged in Belgium in connection with the killings, with eight remaining in custody. Meanwhile, it was revealed today that an Algerian killed during the anti-terror raid in Brussels earlier this week is on a list of ISIS fighters leaked last week.The 35-year-old Algerian identified as Mohamed Belkaid, who was living illegally in Belgium, had volunteered to commit a suicide bomb attack, according to the Dutch speaking TV channel VRT.Belgium's federal prosecutor declined to comment on the report.  Salah Abdeslam was shot in the leg by police commandos and has been captured alive in the district of Molenbeek in the Belgian capital Raid: Abdeslam has now been wounded and captured in a fresh raid conducted by police this afternoon Gun shots and explosions were heard while white smoke was seen in the area as police moved in on Abdeslam, who had been on the run for 126 daysSky News last week claimed to have obtained documents containing the names of 22,000 members of ISIS. According to the VRT report, Belkaid fought in Syria from April 19, 2014 alongside the ISIS jihadists. He went by the nom de guerre Abou Abdel Aziz al-Jazayri (the Algerian).After his return from Syria, he is believed to have passed through Sweden, the TV channel added.Belkaid was killed by a police sniper while trying to shoot at police during a chaotic gun battle on Tuesday in the quiet Forest district in southern Brussels.Next to his body were found an IS flag, a Kalashnikov and a book on Salafism, an extreme form of Islam, investigators said. Belkaid had been unknown to Belgian authorities except for a case of minor theft in 2014, authorities said.How Salah Abdeslam became the world's most wanted man after Paris massacre - but escaped the clutches of police three timesSalah Abdeslam became the world's most wanted man after the Paris attacks in November last year.The 26-year-old is a Belgian-born Morocco-Frenchman and grew up in the Belgian town of Molenbeek.He worked for two years as a railway mechanic and in the family business including at a bar set up by his brother Brahim. Salah Abdeslam and suspected accomplice, Hamza Attou, are seen at a petrol station on a motorway between Paris and Brussels, in Trith-Saint-Leger, France on November 14, 2015Abeslam was reportedly childhood friends with Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the man dubbed as the 'Belgian' mastermind of the Paris attacks.The pair spent time in jail for armed robbery and it is there that it is believed they became radicalised.When his brother Brahim tried to travel to Syria, he was stopped and Abdeslam was questioned by police.Belgian prosecutors later admitted they knew he had been radicalised but didn't flag them up as a security threat to France.For his part in the attacks on Paris, which killed 130, Abdeslam is thought to have rented the cars, the attackers used to drive to the various locations to gun people down. The November 13 attacks in Paris saw ISIS jihadists kill 130 people and injure 352 in a series of shootings and bombings in the French capital Gunmen massacred 90 people when they opened fire in the Bataclan music theatre in Paris during  a packed out concertHe was described as being the logistics manager and also organised hotels, flats and ammunition.On the night if the attacks, he was caught on CCTV outside a cafe that was targeted.His brother Brahim blew himself up outside the Comptoir Voltaire brasserie in the 11th arrondissementLater, officers pulled over Abdelsam on Saturday morning on the A2 motorway between Paris and Brussels but checked his ID and let him go.He was travelling with two other people, just hours after he abandoned a car containing three Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles on the outskirts of the French capital. Salah Abdeslam became the world's most wanted man after the Paris attacks in November last yearDetectives soon realised their blunder when they discovered that Abdeslam had rented VW Polo abandoned near the scene of the massacre inside the Bataclan theatre.However, by the time they alerted Belgian authorities the terror suspect had abandoned the car in Molenbeek, Brussels, an area known as the 'jihadi capital of Europe' and disappeared.An international manhunt was launched.In the days after the attacks, Belgian security forces staged several raids in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, where he lived, which has served as a haven for several jihadists in recent decades.But there was no sign of him and he remained on the run for over four months. It is believed he stayed in Schaerbeek, Belgium, for some weeks following the attacks in the French capital before being tracked down by police todayEric Van der Sypt said the fugitive may have been at the property for 'days, weeks or months'.Surveillance footage at a petrol station showed him returning by car to Belgium a day after the Paris attacks.He also avoided capture when French police checked his papers shortly before he was listed as wanted. Authorities have been searching for him ever since. 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The number one fugitive from the Paris attacks was caught in a Brussels raid on Friday, a Belgian minister said on Twitter. "We got him" said Theo Francken, Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, on Twitter. The Federal Prosecutor's office has also confirmed his arrest, public broadcaster RTBF said. (Reporting by Julia Fioretti, editing by Barbara Lewis)Politics & GovernmentGovernmentTheo Francken

By Kate Thomas for MailOnline and Claire Ellicot For The Daily Mail and Sam Tonkin For Mailonline Published: 20:01 EST, 12 March 2016 | Updated: 11:54 EST, 13 March 2016 Swigging tequila from a fan's hip flask, Madonna suffered another onstage meltdown yesterday as she branded ex-husband Guy Ritchie a 'son of a b***h' and begged 'someone please f*** me'. The 57-year-old singer, locked in a bitter custody dispute with Guy over their son Rocco, couldn't contain her emotions during a second mumbling show in Melbourne, Australia.Her ‘chaotic’ appearance at the Rod Laver Arena included an emotional plea to the crowd, begging, 'Somebody take care of me please. Who is going to take care of me?'Scroll down for more videos Emotional plea: Swigging tequila from a bottle, Madonna reportedly begged the crowd at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, 'Who is going to take care of me?' The singer suffered a second meltdown onstage after swigging from a fan's hip flask at her latest concert The 57-year-old singer, locked in a bitter custody dispute with Guy over their son Rocco, couldn't contain her emotions during a second mumbling show in Melbourne, Australia Meltdown: Madonna is seen onstage with a fan's hip flask. She was drinking in front of fans at her latest gig Madonna's ‘chaotic’ appearance at the Rod Laver Arena included an emotional plea to the crowd, begging, 'Somebody take care of me please. Who is going to take care of me?' Rocco was out cycling in London with dad Guy Ritchie on Saturday as the custody battle rages onAfter falling off a tricycle, she told her fans she had 'messed up' her songs, before joking: 'You would think it was in my DNA,' according to The Sun.Madonna seemed visibly affected by Rocco's decision to live with his father Guy in London.She reportedly said: 'If I have learnt one thing in my life, it's just to go with it. If you just laugh it doesn't hurt as much.' The Living For Love singer went on to dedicate a song to estranged son Rocco, 15, whose childhood photo was once again projected on stage.A source told The Sun: 'Being cut out of Rocco's life has hit Madonna hard and it's clear she blames Guy.'MailOnline has contacted a representative for the star for comment.Last week Madonna's representatives told a High Court judge in London that she wants to 'heal the wounds' in her dispute with Guy Ritchie over the future of their son Rocco. See more of the latest Madonna updates as she suffers her second onstage meltdown Chaotic: The 57-year-old singer told fans she had 'messed up' her songs as she powered through her biggest hits as part of her Rebel Heart world tour  Distressed: Madonna told her screaming supporters, 'If I have learnt one thing in my life, it's just to go with it. If you just laugh it doesn't hurt as much' After falling off a tricycle, she told her fans she had 'messed up' her songs, before joking: 'You would think it was in my DNA.' She is pictured during the concert at the Rod Laver Arena Emotional: Madonna seemed visibly affected by Rocco's decision to live with his father Guy Ritchie in LondonMr Justice MacDonald has been listening to submissions during private hearings in the Family Division of the court as the bitter custody battled continues.Rocco was at the hearing on Friday - but not Madonna or Mr Ritchie. All three are represented by separate legal teams.This comes after Madonna downed a vodka cocktail and burst into tears during her show at Melbourne's Forum last Thursday.Cavorting around on stage dressed as a clown, complete with pink wig and stripey stockings, the pop star tried to put a brave face on but had already kept fans waiting four hours in the rain when she emotionally dedicated her song Intervention to her estranged teenage son. Second 'meltdown' in a week: This comes after she downed a vodka cocktail and burst into tears during her show at Melbourne's Forum last Thursday Powering through: Ever the professional, Madonna managed to keep her composure in between her emotional outbursts She said she wasn't drunk but did request a cosmopolitan cocktail on stage - adding that it was the first time she had ever done so - as 10,000 miles away the legal wrangling continued over where Rocco should live.The 15-year-old sat through six hours of legal argument at the High Court earlier in the week as lawyers for his parents discussed his future.While his mother chose to press on with her concert in Australia, her lawyers said she would 'very much' have liked to be in court and a giant image of her son appeared behind her as she sang.  Rocco sat through six hours of legal argument at the High Court in London yesterday as lawyers for his parents discussed his future. he is seen above on Saturday with his father Erratic behaviour: Fans expressed their concern that Madonna was drunk as she performed in Australia. At one point she asked for a cosmopolitan cocktail to be brought on stage for her (circled) Emotional: On Thursday evening the singer displayed a huge image of her son Rocco at her gig. It came as her custody battle with ex-husband Guy Ritchie continued on the other side of the worldHer behaviour seems to be becoming erratic, as she kept fans waiting four hours before later telling them: 'I'm not making any money on this tour because of all my late fines.' It was reported that the delay was because she was still rehearsing.Despite appearing a little unsteady and slurring her words at times, she said she wasn't drunk but did have two dancers deliver her an alcoholic drink on stage.One fan tweeted: 'So far, Madonna is drunk and constantly missing cues.' Another, Karla Corpuz, said 'Madonna is drunk as f', while others suggested she was 's***-faced'.While at one point she broke down in tears over her difficulties with her son, the two-hour gig was also peppered with jokes and comedy skits. A High Court judge is considering legal issues relating to a custody dispute between Madonna and her ex-husband Guy Ritchie. The filmmaker is pictured left on his way to court and right returning home with Rocco Clowning around: Madonna is pictured on stage yesterday after making fans wait for four hours. On the other side of the world her son Rocco and ex-husband Guy Ritchie attended the latest custody battle hearing Bizarre: Despite appearing a little unsteady and slurring her words at times, Madonna (left, performing, and right, on a tricycle) said she wasn't drunk but did request an alcoholic drink on stageThe mother of four also reportedly burst into tears on stage in New Zealand this week, telling fans in Auckland: 'There is no love stronger than a mother for her son. If I talk about him too much I might cry.' Madonna, 57, is in a bitter legal battle in America and Britain with her film director husband Guy Richie.Their 15-year-old was at the High Court in London yesterday and will return today as his parents battled over his future. His mother has used child abduction laws in the Hague Convention in an attempt to force her Ritchie to return Rocco to her in New York. However, she is now applying for the application to be withdrawn.Rocco is living in London with his father and his new wife, model Jacqui Ainsley, 33. The teenager moved in last December while travelling through Europe with his mother on her Rebel Heart tour. Madonna has claimed the boy has been illegally retained and not returned as originally planned.The judge again expressed the 'fervent hope' they would settle and resolve the issues between them with an amicable settlement.Last week he said it was 'highly unfortunate and deeply regrettable' that the 'unfortunate family dispute' between the parties had arisen. In the High Court last week, a judge criticised Madonna and Ritchie, 47, for using the courts to decide where their son lives.  Support: Jacqui Ainsley, wife of Guy Ritchie and stepmother to Rocco, is pictured leaving the High Court Guy Ritchie's wife Jacqui Ainsley arrives at the couple's home in London on SaturdayMr Justice Alistair MacDonald said it was 'highly unfortunate and deeply regrettable' that they had to resort to lawyers to resolve their dispute. He reiterated those concerns yesterday, saying: 'Hopefully this family will ultimately resolve these issues between them.'In New York last week the pair were reported to have been reprimanded by Judge Deborah Kaplan for dragging their son through an acrimonious custody battle. Madonna and Ritchie married in 2000 but divorced in 2008 over his 'unreasonable behaviour'. Rocco had been living with his mother in New York.The singer, who is on tour in Australia, appeared in a one-off comedy show yesterday called Tears Of A Clown. Ritchie is currently directing Jude Law in Knights of the Round Table.The New York case will resume on June 1. Read more:

Three German regions vote for state legislatures on 'Super Sunday' Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt all vote Angela Merkel's party set to lose support in the wake of refugee crisisExit polls suggest the Christian Democratic Union has lost in two states Anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AFD) set to win seats at all three For more of the latest on Angela Merkel visit www.dailymail.co.uk/merkelBy Sara Malm for MailOnline and Allan Hall In Berlin For The Daily Mail Published: 04:36 EST, 13 March 2016 | Updated: 15:29 EST, 13 March 2016 German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU party was humiliated in key regional elections on Sunday as voters delivered their verdict at the ballot box about her open-door refugee policies.Exit poll results in three out of 16 German states foretell a wipeout in next year's general election as the hard-right capitalized on public disquiet and altered the political landscape forever.Baden-Wuerttemberg - solidly middle class and home to blue chip companies like Porsche and Daimler - was won by the Green Party after Merkel's CDU lost nearly 11 percent support since the last vote there in 2011.Scroll down for videos  Losses: It is predicted to be uncomfortable viewing for Merkel's Christian Democratic Union as exit polls predict losses in state elections in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt today Humiliation: Ms Merkel was mocked by a carnival float showing her weighed down by her humanitarian politics Joy: AfD leader Frauke Petry, left, and deputy speaker Albrecht Glaser, right, celebrate election success Delight: Supporters of the AfD celebrate the exit poll news in Saxony-Anhalt state elections that suggested the party would net a second-place finishAnd the Alternative for Germany - AfD anti-immigrant party - garnered 12.5 percent of the votes, propelling a party that her supporters call 'Nazis in pinstripes' into the local parliament.Leader Frauke Petry said: 'We are seeing above all in these elections that voters are turning away in large numbers from the big established parties and voting for our party.'They expect us finally to be the opposition that there hasn't been in the German parliament and some state parliaments.''The people who voted for us voted against this refugee policy,' added AfD deputy chairman Alexander Gauland.'We have a very clear position on the refugee issue: we do not want to take in any refugees,' he declared.Their success was even more prominent in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt where it scored a massive 23 percent.The elections in Baden-Wuerttemberg - and in the states of Rheinland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt - were billed as a referendum on Merkel's decision to open the country's doors to people fleeing war.The results pile even more pressure on the embattled chancellor to change course and put a cap on refugees arriving in the country - something she had steadfastly refused to do despite spiralling violence and a surge in support for extremists. Nervous: But supporters of the CDU look worried in Rhineland-Palatinate ahead of an expected defeat Second: In Rhineland-Palatinate the CDU came in second behind the centre-left SPD with 32.5 percent Cheers: AfD supporters break out the champagne to toast their party's success in the state elections Confidant: Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate Uwe Junge, pictured, is all smiles as he votes in the Rhineland-Palatinate electionThe numbers on the so-called 'Super Sunday' vote crunched on the wrong side of disastrous for her. In Rhineland-Palatinate the CDU came in second behind the centre-left SPD with 32.5 percent and the AfD scoring double-digits again with 11 percent.In Saxony-Anhalt, an eastern state which has seen some of the worst violence projected towards the 1.2 million refugees who arrived in the country last year, the AfD came in as the third strongest party.Merkel's CDU was the biggest winner with 32 percent, but this was down nearly seven percent on the last election and a projected alliance between the SPD and the Die Linke - the Left - party means it will be deprived of power. Die Linke scored 21 percent of the vote.The SPD - Mrs. Merkel's partners in power on the national stage and supporters opf her refugee policy - lost nearly 10 percent in the state over their last showing in 2011.'These elections are very important as they will serve as a litmus test for the government's disputed policy' on refugees, said Düsseldorf University political scientist Jens Walther. Mixed: Die Linke, aka 'The Left', supporters looked disappointed but are set to share power in Saxony-Anhalt with the SPD Success: Andre Poggenburg, left, AfD frontrunner in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections, and Bjoern Hoecke, centre, AfD state parliamentary chairman in Thuringia, react to the exit polls Victory: Social Democratic Party (SPD) supporters react to the predictions of victory in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliamentary elections in Mainz Success: Winfried Kretschmann (centre), incumbent governor of Baden-Wuerttemberg and member of the German Greens Party, celebrates victory in the state elections Growth: Supporters of the German Green Party were delighted after exit polls predict it will win the Baden-Württemberg election 'These are numbers that really hit us,' said Guido Wolf, the CDU's top candidate in Baden-Wüerttemberg. 'This is the most difficult election campaign the party has had to run.'Asked if Merkel should now overhaul her refugee policy, the CDU's general secretary Peter Tauber said: 'I don't see that need.'Likewise, Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said the grand left-right coalition government would stand firm on its immigration stance.'We have a clear position on refugee policies and we stand by that,' said the SPD leader.Mrs. Merkel's refusal to put a cap on refugee arrivals - instead trying to broker a common European strategy on dealing with them - has seen her popularity plunge in recent weeks. The AfD, a party whose chairwoman Frauke Petry recently recommended German border guards open fire on illegal refugees, has become the main vehicle of protest against her.The AfD currently has seats in five regional parliaments as well as having seats in the EU parliament. Large inroads on sundayx will only reinforce fears that Germany is shifting to the right after decades of middle-of-the-road concensus politics following the collapse of Nazism in 1945. Anti-Merkel: Right-wing activists protest against German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Saturday, ahead of Sunday's state elections, the first since the start of the refugee crisis Worried: While Ms Merkel has dismissed the support for Alternative fur Deutschland, it looks as if they may pose a serious risk to the CDU's outright power in Saxony-AnhaltVice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) warned voters; 'We have a lot to lose if we deal carelessly with social stability and democracy'. They are the first major elections held in Germany since the start of the European migration crisis, and Ms Merkel's humanitarian stance on refugees has been both praised and condemned. Some 12.7million are headed to the polls in three very diverse states; Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in the southwest are both considered prosperous regions, while Saxony-Anhalt in the ex-communist east is relatively poor.Earlier polls suggested both the CDU and Ms Merkel's partners in the national government, the centre-left Social Democrats will lose support, while the big winners are set to be the right-wing AfD. They predicted the three-year-old AfD, which has campaigned against Ms Merkel's migrant policy, would easily enter all three state legislatures, winning as much as 19 per cent of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, a number it exceeded.Saxony-Anhalt is the only one out of the three states voting on Super Sunday where Ms Merkel's CDU is in power, and the meteoric rise in support for AfD should worry the Chancellor.Just six months ago, the anti-immigration party led by 40-year-old Ms Petry, had just five per cent support in Saxony-Anhalt.This week, Ms Merkel dismissed the support for AfD as temporary, claiming that the support for the populist right-wingers will diminish once the government has the refugee situation under control.However, right-wing populism has won new support across the EU in the wake of the refugee crisis, with parties with similar agendas to AfD rising in the polls. In Sweden, which also has taken in huge numbers of refugees and migrants, the far right Sweden Democrats went from a six per cent support in 2010 general election to steadily polling at 20 per cent support for the past year.  Germany registered nearly 1.1 million people as asylum-seekers last year as Ms Merkel insisted 'we will manage' the challenge, a stance which - while supported by many voters - drove others into AfD's arms.'What she did was issue a political invitation to a great many people in the world to set off for Europe, with catastrophic consequences for the structure of a Europe of freedom,' AfD's Ms Petry recently told foreign reporters.Ms Petry, whose party already has lawmakers in five German state parliaments and at the European Parliament, argues that 'having taken more than 1 million asylum seekers and awaiting many more, awaiting families as well, is going to cause huge problems in Germany.'  Bastion: Men leave the voting booth at a polling station in the town of Stoessen in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, the only state out of the three voting on Super Sunday where the CDU is in power Having her say: An elderly woman gives her ballot in Rhineland-Palatinate state elections in Bad Kreuznach Some 12.7million are heading to the polls in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhal FAR RIGHT PARTY MAKES GAINS IN GERMANY: WHO ARE THE AFD?  Founded in 2013, Alternativ fÜr Deutschland began as an anti-EU, anti-euro party skeptical of decisions being made in Brussels and opposing a continental 'super-state'.Initially it had little success as a protest party until the refugee crisis hit Europe and propelled the party to national attention.The bulk of its support comes from eastern Germany where unemployment remains high alongside post-Cold War tensions that still exist today.Some have called the party 'Nazis in pinstripes', referencing the middle-class disaffected voters it is drawing into its ranks.It is led by Frauke Petry, a mother-of-four who was elected 'principal Speaker' - de facto party leader - in June last year. Meteoric rise: Frauke Petry's Alternative for Germany had just five per cent support in Saxony-Anhalt, but this week, the right-wing anti-immigration party was polled at 19 per cent She has previously been quoted as saying refugees who try to cross the German border illegally should be shot by police. It became the first anti-euro party to win seats in a German regional parliament, receiving almost 10 per cent of the vote in the eastern German state of Saxony in 2014, and went on to win seats in four other states' parliaments in 2014 and 2015.The party had seven MEPs elected in the 2014 European elections but only two remain party members.Today's election exit polls showed AfD winning more than 14 percent of the vote in Baden-Wuerttemberg, nearly 11 percent in Rhineland-Palatinate and nearly 23 percent in Saxony-Anhalt, where it finished second.  While the German government has moved to tighten asylum rules, Ms Merkel still insists on a pan-European solution to the migrant crisis, ignoring demands from some conservative allies for a national cap on the number of refugees.For 'all those who want a constructive solution, who want to move things ahead, AfD is completely the wrong party,' the chancellor says.Ms Petry has seen the support for her party increase in recent months as public opinion has changed on Germany's migration policy.AfD was formed in 2013 and was initially profiling itself as a party for Eurosceptics, but the party has since split into two factions, with one more vocal on right-wing politics.Ms Petry, a mother-of-four, has been a Speaker for the party since its birth, but was elected 'principal Speaker' - de facto party leader - in June last year. Her opponent, Bernd Lucke, said Ms Petry and the election of her as leader, was turning AfD into 'a Pegida party'.  In an interview last month, Ms Petry controversially suggested refugees who try to cross the German border illegally should be shot by police.  High hopes: Angela Merkel, CDU's top candidate for the regional elections in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Guido Wolf and top candidate of the regional CDU in Rhineland-Palatinate, Julia Kloeckner, pictured in January Ms Merkel's CDU ran Baden-Wuerttemberg for decades until 2011, when it finished first but lost power to a Green-led coalition.This time, polls suggest it will be beaten to first place by the left-leaning Greens, who are benefiting from the popularity of the state governor, Winfried Kretschmann. Many prefer Kretschmann, who has a more conservative image than many Greens, to little-known CDU challenger Guido Wolf.In Rhineland-Palatinate, the CDU's Julia Kloeckner hopes to end the Social Democrats' 25 years in charge, but the parties are now neck and neck.Both Kretschmann and Rhineland-Palatinate governor Malu Dreyer have at times sounded more enthusiastic about Ms Merkel's refugee policy than their conservative challengers.Wolf and Kloeckner last month called for Germany to impose daily refugee quotas — something Ms Merkel opposes but which neighboring Austria has since put in place. The gambit may have backfired, giving the impression of disunity in the CDU. Germany's next national election is due in late 2017. While a poor result on Sunday will likely generate new tensions, Ms Merkel's position appears secure: she has put many state-level setbacks behind her in the past, and there's no long-term successor or figurehead for any rebellion in sight.Strong performances would boost AfD's hopes of entering the national parliament next year, but it remains to be seen how it will perform in the long term. 

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Story highlights Donald Trump claims protests that spurred him to cancel a Chicago rally were "professionally done" and "planned" He says his supporters are "nice," claiming they were "taunted" and "harassed" by protesters Watch CNN's Democratic Town Hall, co-hosted by TV One, Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. The comments capped a tumultuous day on the campaign trail in which a demonstrator rushed a stage where Trump was speaking, Trump accused Bernie Sanders' supporters of sowing unrest at his events and the GOP front-runner refused to back down from his rhetoric that some have cited as the cause of heightened tension at his rallies. Trump's call to arrest protesters came at a campaign event in Kansas City, Missouri, where he was repeatedly interrupted at the beginning of his address. "I'm going to ask that you arrest them," Trump said to the police. "I'll file whatever charges you want. If they want to do this ... we're going to go strongly for your arrests." Trump said arresting protesters would "ruin the rest of their lives" by giving them a "big arrest mark." "Once that's starts happening, we're not going to have any more protesters, folks," Trump said. Protesters pepper-sprayed As dozens of protesters disrupted Trump's rally inside a Kansas City theater, crowds of demonstrated were gathered outside. Lining the sidewalks and four corners of the nearest intersection to the theater, the protesters voiced their opposition to Trump's policies and rhetoric, which many characterized as racist, xenophobic and fear-mongering. Police used pepper spray at least twice Saturday night, with the Kansas City Police Department tweeting that "we had to use pepper spray 2 times outside Trump rally and arrested 2 people who refused to follow law." As Trump supporters left the venue, protesters shouted and cursed at them -- and any passersby coming from the direction of the theater -- calling them "f***ing racists." Alicia Valeanzela, who was shouting those words at people she believed to be Trump supporters, said she believed anyone supporting Trump supports a racist, xenophobic ideology. "He's a f***ing bigot. He's an a**hole," she said. "It's not right I'm not gonna let somebody ruin our country like that," said the 21-year-old native of Valenzuela. "People need to know that they cannot vote for Trump, and Trump cannot become our president." Among those targeted by the protesters' cries were the Toates family: father Phillip, his wife and their three children, including a 10-year-old son. "How do they know I even attended the rally? They say Trump's all about hate, but we have not been about hate and that's the way we got treated when we came out," said Phillip Toates, who said he is leaning toward supporting Trump but is still undecided. "It's not the way I expected to be treated coming out of a rally," he said. 'Our communist friend' Trump began the day by blaming supporters of Sanders, the Vermont senator seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, of disrupting his Chicago event, where many in the audience chanted the senator's name after the rally was called off. "Some represented Bernie, our communist friend," Trump said in Dayton, Ohio, his first campaign appearance since the Chicago event was postponed. Later in the day, Trump said protesters at his Cleveland event are "Bernie's crowd." "You know Bernie was saying Mr. Trump should speak to his crowd," Trump said. "You know where they come from? Bernie's crowd. They're Bernie's crowd." And when a protester momentarily disrupted Trump's rally, the GOP front-runner again said the demonstrator was a "Bernie person." "Get your people in line, Bernie," Trump said. Sanders, however, pushed back against Trump, calling on him to denounce violence at his rallies and labeling him a "pathological liar." 'I don't think our supporters are inciting' The progressive group MoveOn.org, which has endorsed Sanders, confirmed in a statement Saturday that it helped students print signs for the protests at the Chicago rally and recruit members to attend the "student-led protest." Sanders on Saturday said his supporters were not to blame for the unrest. "I don't think our supporters are inciting. What our supporters are doing is responding to a candidate who has, in fact, in many ways, encouraged violence," Sanders said at a press conference in Chicago. "When he talks about ... 'I wish we were in the old days when you could punch somebody in the head.' What do you think that says to his supporters?" Sanders also referred to an incident earlier this week in which a black protester was sucker-punched by a Trump supporter as he was being led out of a rally. "So the issue now is Donald Trump has got to be loud and clear and tell his supporters that violence at rallies is not what America is about and to end it," Sanders said. In a statement issued later Saturday, Sanders added: "As is the case virtually every day, Donald Trump is showing the American people that he is a pathological liar." Clashes broke out Friday night between protesters and Trump supporters after the campaign announced the rally would be canceled more than 30 minutes after it was scheduled to start. Hundreds of protesters had packed into the University of Illinois at Chicago venue for the rally, prompting the campaign to call off the event. The protests and fights in Chicago were the latest in a string of increasingly heated and at-times violent confrontations breaking out at rallies for the front-runner in the Republican presidential race. And they come as Trump has repeatedly suggested protesters should face more violent repercussions for disrupting his rallies. Trump rallies are turning violent "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. As he did the previous night in a round of phoned in TV interviews, Trump didn't walk back any of his rhetoric Saturday. He again claimed that neither the tone of his campaign nor his supporters were to blame for any violence at his rallies. "They want me to tell my people please be nice be nice. My people are nice," Trump said Saturday. "They were taunted, they were harassed by these other people." How Trump and Sanders tapped America's economic rage Saturday night, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus issued a statement in which he expressed his hope that "all Americans exercise their First Amendment rights" but do so "in a manner that is respectful of our fellow Americans." "As we go further along in this election cycle, I ask those on my side of the political spectrum and those on the left to engage actively in the political process in a manner that continues to make our democracy the envy of the rest of the world," Priebus said. "Leaders and activists in both parties bear a responsibility to ensure that the discourse we engage in promotes the best of America." Man tries to rush stage While Trump was speaking in Dayton, a man jumped a barricade behind the stage in an apparent effort to confront the GOP front-runner, but was unsuccessful. He was quickly blocked by Secret Service officers, and members of Trump's security detail rushed to cover him. After a few moments, Trump, who was visibly startled, gave a thumbs-up and thanked the cheering crowd for warning him. "I was ready for him," Trump said, "but it's much easier if the cops do it." Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer identified the protester as Thomas DiMassimo, 22, of Fairborn, Ohio. He was charged with disorderly conduct and inducing panic, according to authorities, and was being held at Montgomery County Jail in Dayton early Saturday afternoon. A spokesperson for the jail said DiMassimo has a court appearance scheduled for Monday. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks issued a brief statement on the incident. "A man attempted to breach the secure buffer and was removed rapidly and professionally," she said. "All further inquiries should be directed to the (Secret Service)." Dispute over decision to cancel rally Early Saturday afternoon, Trump's campaign issued a statement about the Chicago rally, saying that Chicago police, as well as Secret Service and private security firms, "were consulted and totally involved" in the decision to cancel the event. "We have received great credit from everyone for canceling this event. Nobody was injured and crowds disbanded quickly and peacefully. It has been termed 'really good management and leadership under great pressure!'" the statement read. "It would have been easier for Mr. Trump to have spoken, but he decided, in the interest of everyone's safety, to postpone the event." Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski added, "We don't make decisions in a vacuum. We coordinate with all the appropriate law enforcement." But Anthony Guglielmi, a Chicago police spokesman, told CNN that Trump's claim that he informed a police commander before making the decision to cancel the rally was "absolutely untrue." "No one from the campaign contacted the Chicago Police Department and we were not involved at all in canceling the event," Guglielmi told CNN. "I was literally standing next to the superintendent when we were notified by the university that the event had been canceled. I think a lot of people were surprised, including the Secret Service officer standing next to us who was notified at the same time." Guglielmi added that police then dispatched an additional 100 police officers to the University of Illinois arena, where the event was being held, to assist with crowd control. Before Trump's rally in Kansas City, a police supervisor at the scene earlier in the day said the department had not deployed more officers than usual, though there is a large force on hand. But, said the supervisor, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record, "We are certainly aware of what happened in Chicago and St. Louis," where more than 30 people were arrested Friday afternoon at a Trump rally. 2016 hopefuls continue criticism The other 2016 presidential candidates continued their attacks on Trump Saturday over the violence at the Chicago rally. "If you play with matches, you're going to start a fire you can't control," Hillary Clinton said at a caucus kick-off event at a local YMCA in St. Louis. "That's not leadership. That's political arson." Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said he still plans to support the Republican nominee in the general election, but it's "getting harder every day." "I think we also have to look at the rhetoric coming from the front-runner in the presidential campaign," he told reporters in Largo, Florida. "Someone who's basically encouraged people in the audience to rough up anyone who stands up and says something he doesn't like." Rubio said if the anger from voters continues, the country will "continue to be ripped apart at the seams." Texas Sen. Ted Cruz accused Trump of encouraging his supporters to physically assault activists. "Unlike Donald Trump, I don't ask people in the audience to punch people in the face. I don't ask them to engage in physical violence against protesters," he said in Kansas City. "And I think the way you interact with the citizens expresses what kind of president you'll be." Ohio Gov. John Kasich -- who has made running a positive campaign a central part of his appeal to voters -- initially declined to criticize Trump on Friday night, saying he couldn't comment on the rallies as he had never been to one. Later, he issued a statement, saying Trump had been sowing "seeds of division" that "finally bore fruit." But by Saturday morning, Kasich -- who, like Cruz, had declined to blame Trump for violence at his rallies as recently as CNN's Republican debate on Thursday -- called a press conference to denounce Trump. "Donald Trump has created a toxic environment, and a toxic environment has allowed his supporters and those who sometimes seek confrontation to come together in violence," Kasich told reporters in Sharonville, Ohio. "To see Americans slugging themselves at a political rally deeply disturbed me. We're better than that." CORRECTION: This story has been updated after the Montgomery County Sheriff's office misstated DiMassimo's age. CNN's Phil Mattingly, Kristin Wilson, Jim Acosta, Samantha Reyes, Bill Kirkos and Cassie Spodak contributed to this report.

When black, Muslim and Latino student activists at the University of Illinois at Chicago heard last week that Donald Trump was planning a rally on campus, they did what any good organizers do in 2016: They went online.Within days, thousands of people had liked a Facebook page called "Stop Trump – Chicago." Tens of thousands added their names to a MoveOn.org petition calling on the school to cancel the rally. Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | March 8 election results | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter  They all had one thing in common, said Casandra Robledo, a second-year student who helped organize the protest: "We felt so strongly that Donald Trump and his bigotry and racism wasn’t welcome here.” ------------For the RecordMarch 12, 4:13 p.m.: A previous version of this article referred to the Muslim Student Association as the Muslim Student Alliance and misspelled Assata's Daughters as Asata's Daughters.------------The students’ large demonstration at Trump's rally Friday night led the Republican presidential candidate to abruptly cancel his planned appearance and sparked a melee between Trump supporters and protesters that resulted in multiple injuries and arrests. Trump took to Twitter on Saturday morning, calling the protesters “thugs” who denied him and his supporters their 1st Amendment right to free speech.“The organized group of people, many of them thugs, who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago, have totally energized America!” he wrote.The clashes marked the most violent episode of a campaign that has grown increasingly tense since the businessman and reality television star announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination last summer.Activists angered by Trump’s inflammatory statements on immigration, Islam and other topics now show up at nearly every public event.They are typically escorted out by police as his supporters cheer. One Trump audience member was recently arrested after he punched a black protester who was being led away.Ahead of the Chicago rally, the students cited safety concerns in letters to campus officials that urged them to cancel the event."As an undocumented UIC graduate student, I feel unsafe knowing that Trump along with his followers will be at my university," organizer Jorge Mena wrote in an open letter to the school's administration. "We already face systemic violence but we’re increasingly becoming targets of attack by his followers on and off Trump’s campaign trail."Some campus faculty joined in, penning a separate letter to school officials.Amalia Pallares, a political science professor involved in the effort, said she believes Trump's divisive rhetoric is inconsistent with the university's values of inclusion. "We didn’t feel this was the right venue for this kind of event," she said in an interview. "We were not opposed to free speech," she continued. "It was a security issue. We felt that it would be a big challenge for the university to protect the students."Planning for the event started Monday night, when leaders from a range of groups gathered in a campus lecture hall. They included the Black Student Union, the Muslim Student Assn. and the Fearless Undocumented Association, which advocates for immigrants in the country illegally.Other local and national activism groups also got involved, including some local labor organizations, Black Lives Matter and MoveOn.Org, which has endorsed Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders.  Nick Berning, communications director at MoveOn.Org, said his organization printed signs for the protesters and sent out an email blast to its members in the Chicago area inviting them to join.Tess Raser, an organizer with Assata’s Daughters, a group of black women that has protested police violence, said her organization saw the protest as an opportunity to connect Trump's racist rhetoric with institutional racism in Chicago.The demonstration kicked off Friday afternoon, with a rally on campus where Muslim and Latino immigrant students spoke. Protesters then marched to the rally site carrying a banner that read: "Trump makes America hate. Our students make America great."While some protesters stayed outside, others went into the event, many of them concealing anti-Trump posters under their clothes.When Trump officials announced that the candidate wouldn't be appearing because of security concerns, the crowd erupted, said B. Loewe, an organizer with a Latino group called Mijente, who was present at the rally. Trump supporters were angry, he said, and protesters were celebrating.Some protesters chanted, "We stopped Trump," he said, while others sang the lyrics to a Kendrick Lamar song, "We Gon' Be Alright," that has become an anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement.Others in the crowd yelled slogans in support of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.Organizers of the demonstration and Sanders said Saturday that the protest was not in any way officially affiliated with his campaign, despite claims from Trump on Twitter that it was “Clinton and Sanders people who disrupted my rally.”“As is the case virtually every day, Donald Trump is showing the American people that he is a pathological liar,” Sanders said in a statement. “Obviously, while I appreciate that we had supporters at Trump’s rally in Chicago, our campaign did not organize the protests.”On Saturday, as Trump held more rallies across the Midwest, activists in Chicago and around the country were talking about what comes next. Tia Oso, national coordinator for Black Alliance for Just Immigration, which works with Black Lives Matter activists, said protests of Trump rallies “will most certainly” continue in the months ahead.“He’s viewed as this legitimate candidate and as people begin to see he could possibly lead this country, they’re going to push back against him and what he’s throwing out there,” Oso said. “You can’t go around saying you’re going to ban all Muslims and not think people are not going to be upset. You can’t bad mouth Mexicans and think everyone will just be all fine with it.” Patrisse Cullors, a leading force behind Black Lives Matter, said “the protests, the disruptions will continue.”“Without disruption there is no progress,” she said.ALSOSneering, sarcasm, protests: It's all in a day's Trump rallyAfter scuffles in Chicago, Trump tells supporters he can unite the country. It's a hard sellRivals accuse Donald Trump of inciting Chicago violence. He blames Clinton and Sanders

A Donald Trump rally took a dramatic turn Saturday when a disturbance broke out behind him — causing Secret Service agents to jump on stage and form a wall around the candidate amid the commotion. A campaign spokeswoman said that a man at the Dayton, Ohio, event "attempted to breach the secure buffer and was removed rapidly and professionally." The suspect was identified as Thomas Dimassimo, 32, and was charged with disorderly conduct and inducing panic — both misdemeanors, Chief Mike Etter of the Dayton Airport Police Department told NBC News. Dimassimo jumped the bike racks and tried to climb onto the stage, but was stopped by Secret Service stationed there, Etter said. He was being held at the Montgomery County jail in Dayton. Secret Service agents surround U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a disturbance as he speaks at Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio, on March 12, 2016. Aaron P. Bernstein / Reuters The suspect may have thrown a bottle at the start of the incident, Etter added, but that wasn't immediately clear. One Secret Service agent sustained a minor injury to the nose, police said. As the suspect was ousted, the audience cheered "Trump," and the barely fazed billionaire gave two thumbs up and quipped: "I was ready for him, but it's much easier if the cops do it." It was the first time at one of Trump's events that agents had to swarm the stage in such a manner. The incident happened a day after Trump canceled a rally in Chicago as hundreds of protesters waited for him, leading to scuffles between them and his supporters. Earlier in the rally at Dayton International Airport, the Republican front-runner said he "didn't want to see anybody get hurt" at Friday's highly charged gathering at the University of Illinois-Chicago. "You would have had a problem like you haven't seen in a long time," Trump said. "It was determined that if we go in, it could cause really bad, bad vibes." Five people were arrested and two officers were injured amid the clashes, police said. "All of a sudden, a planned attack just came out of nowhere," Trump said of the protesters, whom he accused of carrying signs "printed by people that were professional people ... very professionally done. A disgrace, if you want to know the truth." Related: How Sanders Supporters Shut Down Trump's Rally in Chicago After consulting with law enforcement, Trump said he decided to cancel what would have been a "tremendous" rally. "We want to get along with everybody. But when they have organized, professionally staged wiseguys, we've got to fight back," he said at his Ohio campaign stop. Trump is under scrutiny for violence at a number of his rallies in the past week: The Chicago skirmishes came after a man was charged with assault for punching a protester at a Fayetteville, North Carolina, event Wednesday night, and Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields accused Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski of yanking her arm aggressively when she tried to ask the candidate a question Tuesday night. Marco Rubio slammed Trump Saturday, warning that violence "is what the Republican Party's going to be defined by" if Trump is the nominee. "This is what a culture and a society looks like when everyone goes around saying whatever the heck they want," Rubio said. "The result is, it all breaks down. It's called chaos. It's called anarchy. And that's what we're careening towards." Related: Rubio: If Trump's Our Nominee, GOP Will Be 'Defined By' Violence Hours earlier, Trump defiantly tweeted: "The organized group of people, many of them thugs, who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago, have totally energized America!" The protesters were "bad people," he said Saturday. "These are people who truly don't want to see our country great again." Trump, who was introduced in Dayton by New York Jets center Nick Mangold, touched on a variety of other issues at the rally, including his plans for bringing more jobs to the U.S., fighting ISIS, and illegal immigration. "Our border's like a piece of Swiss cheese. People just come pouring in," he said. Later Saturday, Trump held another rally in Cleveland, which was punctuated by multiple protesters. "That's a Bernie [Sanders] person, it's a Bernie person," Trump said, pointing to a protester. "Get that Bernie person out of here."

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More than an hour before Trump's appointed 6:00 p.m. starting time, scuffles broke out inside the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion'It's like 10 per cent of them are here to shut it down,' a Chicago police officer told DailyMail.comNews of the shut down came hours after black activist Anthony Cage, was bloodied after clashing with Trump supporters in St. Louis  Chicago police confirmed at least eight arrests, including one journalistBy David Martosko, Us Political Editor For Dailymail.com In Chicago Published: 20:49 EST, 11 March 2016 | Updated: 22:28 EST, 11 March 2016 Protesters at Donald Trump's first Chicago campaign rally were so numerous on Friday that they shut the event down following .Multiple law enforcement sources told DailyMail.com that there was a credible threat against Trump from groups of protesters who planned to storm the stage at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion.Fistfights broke out inside. An impatient group massed outside. Temperatures rose. Torn in half: An opponent of Businessman and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds up a campaign torn in half as a Trump campaign rally is cancelled for public safety reasons Earlier that day: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in St. Louis. Multiple law enforcement sources told DailyMail.com that there was a credible threat against Trump in ChicagoNews of the shut down came hours after a black activist in St.Louis, who gave his name as Anthony Cage, was filmed being escorted into a police van by two St. Louis officers with blood across his face and down the front of his sweater after clashing with Trump supporters.After the campaign event was officially canceled, raucous protesters spilled out onto the street of Chicago and clashed with police.Chicago police confirmed at least eight arrests, including one journalist.Reports swirled that rioters were smashing cars parked in the venue's main garage. One outburst caught on a police scanner suggested a protester in the resulting scrum brandished a firearm.Trump appeared on MSNBC, lamenting how he was squelched, while live video of the chaos played.'We have a country that's so divided that even you don't understand it,' he told anchor Chris Matthews. 'I've never seen anything like it, and this has been going on for years.' 'There's a lot of anger in the country, and it's very sad to see actually,' he said.'We had literally over 25,000 people who wanted to come today. It's incredible,' Trump explained, saying that he had made the decision to cancel his appearance.  Trump protesters and supporters clashed outside of the Chicago rally after it was cancelled due to the teeming number of protesters at the event 'Nobody was hurt and hopefully we can keep that going. That's why I did this today: we don't want anyone to get hurt, or worse.'Asked what he would tell the protesters who seem to hate him so much, Trump said America needed an influx of jobs – especially for African-Americans whose unemployment rate is as high as 59 per cent.'You have to bring back jobs! I'd be angry too,' he said. 'We have to bring jobs back. These kids are not getting jobs.'Chris Matthews asked Trump why he mocked a protester earlier, telling him to go get a job. Trump said:‘He was a very nasty guy, he was very very loud, very boisterous and he was swinging his fists. He just looked to me like somebody that frankly… Maybe he did have a job maybe he did not. But there’s nothing wrong with saying go get a job, but the fact is it’s not easy to get jobs.’‘He was mad long before I said that. He was jumping up and down, he could have been dangerous.’‘Some of these protesters are very dangerous people.’The real estate tycoon predicted that fallout from Friday's clashes wouldn't hurt his White House bid.'You can't even have a rally in this country anymore without violence,' Trump lamented. 'I think a lot of people think that it was wrong that we were stopped.''We can't have a rally in a major city in this country!' he complained. 'What happened to the right to free speech?' Cheering: A supporter of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tries to pump up the crowd before a rally on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago on Friday  Supporters: Trump supporters hold signs after Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump cancelled his rally at the University of Illinois at ChicagoMatthews challenged Trump on the wisdom of staging a rally in a racial powderkeg city like Chicago.'It shouldn't matter,' he fired back. 'Whoever lives in this city, it shouldn't make a difference. We shouldn't be restricted from having a rally here because of ethnic makeup.''I think we did the right thing,' he said. 'A lot of people are saying we did the right thing and it looks like it's going to be just fine.'Following the cancellation of the rally Ben Carson, who recently endorsed Trump, said: 'If your expression is shutting down somebody else's planned expression, you're interefering with their rights.Inside the arena an hour earlier, 'fine' was the last word witnesses would have used to describe the scene as left-wing activists had their own seating section – or five.They shouted 'Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!' and 'We did it!' as a public address announcement declared the night over.Community organizers were out in force, chanting 'Latinos Unidos' slogans and jawing en masse at the Republican front-runner's supporters.By the time the event was officially 'postponed,' activist chants of 'Si! Se puede!' and 'We don't give a f***' dueled with pro-Trump groups screaming 'USA! USA!' at the top of their lungs.The groups kept screaming at each other, waving signs – both physical posters and gang signs – long after the annoucement. In another state: Police detained Anthony Cage after a fight between supporters and opponents of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, ahead of his speech outside the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis on FridayTwo fistfights broke out. Police raced to one corner of the arena, and then the next. Cheers rose and fell like the jangle of fans at a bullfight.'Attention! The event is now over. Please exit the building!' the public address announcer blared repeatedly. No one cared.Bernie Sanders campaign signs waved. One man hoisted a brightly colored poster that read: 'Trump Hates Puppies.'A twentysomething woman got in his face.'Build that wall!' she screamed. 'Build it now! Build it high! Build it ten feet higher!'The Trump campaign issued a statement as chaos reached its apex.'Mr. Trump just arrived in Chicago and after meeting with law enforcement has determined that for the safety of all of the tens of thousands of people that have gathered in and around the arena, tonight’s rally will be postponed to another date,' it read. Postponement: Left-wing activists had their own seating section – or five. They shouted 'Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!' as a public address announcer declared that 'for the safety of all the tens of thousands of people, tonight's rally will be postponed' Opposing views: Protesters at Donald Trump's first Chicago campaign rally (pictured) were so numerous on Friday that they shut the event down'Thank you very much for your attendance and please go in peace.'Law enforcement acknowledged that the intensity of the protesters, and their numbers, came as a surprise.'It's like 10 per cent of them are here to shut it down,' a Chicago police officer told DailyMail.com, requesting anonymity to speak freely.Asked if it was more than law enforcement had prepared for, he said: 'Affirmative.'That 10 per cent figure turned out to be an understatement.More than an hour before Trump's appointed 6:00 p.m. starting time, scuffles broke out inside. And a riot-threatening crowd gathered outside, pressing against police lines that separated them from rally-goers who were still trying to get in. More than an hour before Trump's appointed 6:00 p.m. starting time, scuffles broke out inside the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion. Pictured here are protesters standing outside  Verbal exchange: Trump supporter exchanges words with a demonstrator  after Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump cancelled his rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago Trump aides and Secret Service agents refused at 5:15 and 5:45 to speculate on whether or not the campaign event would be called off for the candidate’s safety.A federal agent deflected the question as his eyes followed a young black man wearing a purple backpack.'I don't know,' he said. 'I guess if they cleared Secret Service, then it's okay. I guess.'One group of black audience members jeered a white man wearing a confederate-flag hat who told them they likely had no stake in the election. They couldn't vote, he yelled, according to two witnesses, because they were all felons. Cancellation: An empty podium stands on the stage after protestors forced the cancellation of a Businessman and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump campaign rally out of concern for public safety Inside the pavilion: Hundreds of protesters clashed with the frontrunner's supporters and police struggling to maintain orderMost of the venom, however, came from a section of anti-Trump forces, clustered in the rear of the arena. They provided off-and-on fireworks and attracted police attention minute by minute.'¡Pendejos!' one Hispanic man yelled over and over again.'F*** the police!' a black woman screamed to no one in particular, repeatedly.Both found hails of wadded-up food wrappers and paper cups thrown in their direction as chants of 'We Want Trump!' rang out in response.The multi-ethnic lake of humanity, surrounded by a larger sea of Trump supporters, included blacks, whites, Latinos, Indians and women wearing headscarves.They shouted 'Kick him out! Kick him out! Kick him out!' at a white man whose sin was holding a Trump rally sign over his head in the wrong place at the wrong time.An African-American protester grabbed it, tore it in two, and held it aloft like a trophy. His friends flipped middle fingers to a scrum of journalists watching from behind barricades on the arena floor.For a moment there was no screaming. No slogans. Just a moment's show of dominance before uniformed Chicago police gently led him out. Joy for some: Protesters against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump celebrate after it was announced that a rally for Trump was canceled The multi-ethnic lake of humanity, surrounded by a larger sea of Trump supporters, included blacks, whites, Latinos, Indians and women wearing headscarvesThe man whose sign he took flashed a sheepish grin and retreated to another section of seating, sweat visible on his brow.Some in the protest crowd shouted 'Undocumented! Unafraid!' over and over, competing with the Rolling Stones on Trump's pre-show playlist.The adventures in protesting had begun when three young men wearing undershirts reading 'Muslims United Against Trump' were ushered out of the arena near the stage.Witnesses said they were turned away at the door, left, and returned wearing hooded sweatshirts over their magic-markered messages.Protesters are nothing new at Donald Trump rallies. Typically an hour-long speech stops a dozen times – sometimes more – so social justice warriors can vent their spleens.Trump has turned mocking them into an art form. But Friday night's display was different. An anti-Donald Trump protester is removed by security during a Trump rally at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on Friday. Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump cancelled his appearance at a Chicago rally Friday amid extraordinary scenes of chaos Tidying up the damage: Members of the cleaning crew sweep the floor at the UIC Pavilion after Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump cancelled his rally for safety reasonsThe atmosphere was supercharged early on by news that a similar rally in St. Louis hours earlier generated 32 arrests including one for 3rd degree assault.By 5:30, Trump's staff locked reporters inside the 'pen,' a barricaded-in area that journalists are not allowed to leave while The Donald is speaking.Typically the lockdown happens ten minutes before 'go time' and exceptions are made for bathroom breaks. Not on Friday.'I don't care,' one Trump aide told journalists. 'Stay in there. You don't come out.'As soon as the event was canceled, however, there was no candidate to protect. The floodgates opened and journalists flooded out – some with cameras, others with notepads – to document the continuing melee.'This is all your fault!' one young man boomed at no one in particular. 'You damned media people. You've ruined Donald Trump for all of us!' BLOODIED PROTESTER IS ESCORTED FROM TRUMP RALLY IN ST.LOUIS  A bloodied protester was filmed being escorted from a Donald Trump rally in St Louis on Friday as demonstrators shut the event down for ten minutes.The black activist, who gave his name as Anthony Cage, was filmed being escorted into a police van by two St Louis officers with blood across his face and down the front of his sweater.There had been signs of trouble as early as 8am when people began queuing outside the Peabody Opera House to get tickets, with large groups of pro and anti-Trump fans shouting at one another.After a large number of demonstrators sneaked into the event and began a coordinated protest inside, Trump told the crowd: 'Part of the problem and part of the reason it takes so long is nobody wants to hurt each other anymore, right?'And they're being politically correct the way they take them out. So it takes a little bit longer,' the River Front Times reported.It is not clear how the activist was injured, but there were multiple scuffles between Trump supporters and demonstrators.Other reports indicated that the man was not arrested, but instead had his wounds treated and was allowed to walk free.The fresh scenes of violence come after Trump supporter John McGraw, 78, was caught on camera hitting Rakeem Jones, 26, at another event in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Wednesday. Quizzed by Inside Edition on why he hit the black demonstrator, McGraw responded 'we don't know if he's ISIS', before adding: 'Next time we see him, we might have to kill him.'