Police say at least five arrested during Sunday’s protests near Medinah

Bloomingdale police confirmed Tuesday that officers made at least five arrests during protests and counterprotests near Medinah Country Club on Sunday as President Donald Trump attended the Presidents Cup golf tournament.

Frank Giammarese, the village’s director of public safety, said he is still awaiting full reports on the arrests, but noted that all the charges are misdemeanors.

Tensions ran high between Trump supporters and opponents at Lake Street and Medinah Road in Bloomingdale, as people from the two camps yelled in each other’s faces.

Bloomingdale officers worked to keep the groups apart, but physical fights broke out in the early afternoon and again later in the day, resulting in arrests, Giammarese said.

Giammarese estimated that about 100 people were at the intersection, with partisans crowding all corners.

“Most people were peaceful, but unfortunately that kind of bled over into some altercations between people that were there to either protest or show support for the president,” he added.

Besides dealing with protesters, Giammarese said, officers had to maintain a safe environment for the tournament’s attendees and direct traffic around the site.

szalusky@dailyherald.com