When successful businessman and now presidential candidate Donald Trump visited St. Louis on Friday, March 11, he got a lot more than he bargained for. Instead of a peaceful rally at the Peabody Opera House, both Trump supporters and protesters found hateful ways to express their political views.

Two friends and I stood in line for three hours early in the morning and were almost refused entry into the Peabody Opera House due to the large crowds. During the wait, we had time to speak with bystanders and take in our surroundings. Knowing Trump’s stance on immigration and Muslims, I expected there to be protesters, but never dreamed of the racial tension present outside the rally. In the “Trump supporters” line, mostly white faces gathered, ranging from waddling toddlers to an elderly man with a walker. On the other side, the throng of protesters stood much more culturally diverse, and they did not stand quietly. One black man, donning a shirt explicitly demeaning the police, decided to step on the American flag and was hit with the backlash of cries of outrage and disgust from the crowd. Hate also stemmed from Trump supporters as they yelled and screamed rude obscenities back to protesters. The police, for whom I was very grateful, held the crowds apart from each other as best as they could. According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, 32 total arrests were made that day.

We reached the doors to the Opera House around noon and were allowed inside by the swarms of Secret Service. After a long wait, chants of “We want Trump!” and “Build that wall!” erupted, and Trump finally deemed it time to make an appearance. One woman screamed her love for him, causing Trump to declare “Is this a love-fest or what?” These words fell flat as the next 20 minutes were filled with little speech and many hateful interruptions. At least 12 hidden protesters in the crowd shouted obscenities and were thrown out of the Opera House at the command of Mr. Trump’s new favorite catch phrase: “Get him out!” The crowd responded with basketball game-like tendencies, screaming themselves deaf and singing “Na-na-na-na, hey-hey-hey, goodbye!” as the protesters were escorted outside.

With the numerous interruptions, it made it difficult for Trump to discuss high-topic issues. He did briefly mention policies involving foreign relationships, gun control, education and trade. But the focus of the rally seemed more on entertaining the crowd. This seems to be a modern problem with politics — our society and social media have turned it into a game, belittling candidates’ true intentions with postings of memes and Photoshopped jokes everywhere.

With the interrupting protesters, Trump’s antics to entertain and the crowd’s energy, the rally fell short of its true purpose: to allow a gathering in which political platforms and ideals can be expressed. We are unbelievably lucky to live in a country where we have freedom of speech and freedom to vote. Let us not tarnish this blessing by resorting to immature levels, violence or by making the presidential race into a matter of entertainment.