Yvonne Wingett Sanchez

The Republic | azcentral.com

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Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump will hold a rally in Fountain Hills on Saturday morning and another in Tucson Saturday afternoon, ahead of the state's primary election on Tuesday.

Thousands are expected to attend the events to cheer the real-estate-mogul-turned-politico, as establishment Republicans plot a way to prevent him from securing the party's nomination.

The rally in Fountain Hills begins at 11 a.m. at a Fountain Hills park. Doors open at 8 a.m. RSVP for free tickets here.

Before the Fountain Hills rally, Trump will tape a conversation with Fox News commentator Sean Hannity at the Phoenix Convention Center. The public may attend. Doors will open at 6 a.m. and the taping will begin at 9 a.m. Tickets are available here.

What is Fountain Hills, and why is Donald Trump campaigning there while in Arizona?

A rally in Tucson, at the city's convention center, is scheduled for 2 p.m. RSVP for tickets here.

Trump's Saturday appearances will come on the heels of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's scheduled appearance at a rally on Friday in north Phoenix. Members of the GOP establishment are increasingly supporting Cruz as an alternative to Trump.

Within moments of learning the location Trump's rally in Fountain Hills, protesters were already making plans.

Michael McPhearson, executive director of Veterans for Peace, said the group will send to the rally members of its "Veterans Challenge Islamophobia" campaign.

He said the campaign aims to bring people together, no matter their religion, and they are marshaling efforts against politicians who use "hateful" language against Muslims and minority groups.

"When you start to single out people for their religious belief then you really go against the principles we serve to protect," he said. "It puts our country in danger because you're alienating Islamic people – the very people we should not alienate."

McPhearson said members will attend Trump's rally because he's been "the most outspoken when it comes to being Islamophobic."

McPhearson declined to say what members would do at a protest, but said it would be non-violent and respectful.

"People plan what they're going to do but they don't want to share it because they have to have an element of surprise."

The immigrant rights group, Puente Arizona, is also organizing a protest against Trump.

As of Thursday, 2,900 people had indicated on Facebook that they plan to attend the protest. Another 6,300 indicated they were interested.

The protest is dubbed #unitedagainsthate and is intended to denounce Trump’s rhetoric against undocumented immigrants, Carlos Garcia, Puente’s executive director, said.

He blamed Trump’s rhetoric with spurring state lawmakers to push through a flurry of new bills targeting illegal immigration not seen since the state passed SB 1070, Arizona’s immigration enforcement bill, in 2010.

“Our plan is to show up with as many people as possible,” Garcia said. “We are encouraging people to be both inside and outside...to show our dismay with Trump.”

Trump has previously rallied supporters in Arizona twice.

Trump's first stop in the state came in July, soon after making controversial comments about immigrants — calling them rapists and criminals. The rally drew thousands to the downtown Phoenix Convention Center for the raucous event, and also drew dozens of protesters who gathered outside to condemn his remarks.

Months later, in December, Trump staged an event at a Mesa airport hangar, where his plane, "Trump Force One," served as a backdrop. During that speech, he received some of the loudest applause when he promised to build a massive wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and kick millions of undocumented immigrants out of the country.

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Follow the reporter on Twitter @yvonnewingett and reach her at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4712.