Donald Trump rally gives way to shoving, yelling amid Latino protests

Richmond, United Nations: A presidential campaign rally for Republican frontrunner Donald Trump gave way to pushing and shoving on Wednesday as the billionaire's supporters clashed with a group of Latino student protesters.

Around a dozen students tried to interrupt Trump, who had just began his speech at a Richmond, Virginia rally, shouting "We're here to stay," and "Dump Trump."

Members of the crowd snatched their signs and began shoving, in an episode that lasted several minutes.

At another point, a rally attendee spit in a protester's face.

Trump, a billionaire real estate developer who has never held elected office, continued his speech over the ruckus and later told AFP that he "didn't see much of the protest."

"We have thousands of people in this room. We have about ten people over there. They'll get the headline," he lamented during the rally.

The student protesters, who were from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, said their aim was to call Trump out on racial and immigration issues.

"We just had to show him that here we don't stand for racism. He's just playing on xenophobia and hatred towards people from minorities", one protester said, after being escorted out by police.