Albuquerque Chaos: Anti-Tump rally explodes in hectic street battles (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

A Donald Trump rally ahead of the Republican primary in New Mexico has provoked chaos on the streets of Albuquerque as protesters torched t-shirts and threw missiles at riot police.

Several police officers have been reported injured by the Albuquerque Police Department “as a result of being hit by rocks”.

Meanwhile, arrests have been made both inside and outside the Albuquerque Convention Center rally, where White House hopeful Trump ordered booing protesters to be ejected.

Protesters against Trump’s political rise gathered outside the performing arts center Tuesday, ahead of his rally. Daylight marches calling for voters to “Dump Trump” had seemingly set the tone for a peaceful day of demonstration.

However, as the evening wore on scores of people grew increasingly angry at Trump’s presence, many of them hurling burning missiles, as well as rocks towards armed riot police.

Footage from the scene shows anti-Trump protesters flooding the streets, with some running over the top of parked police vehicles.

Reports had suggested that tear gas was used to quell crowd chaos. However, the  Albuquerque Police Department has denied this, saying video of supposed tear gas canisters was “just smoke.”

The entrance to the convention center was also damaged as demonstrators allegedly tried to storm the building, reports Reuters.

Trump’s senior campaign advisor Dan Scavino has branded protesters as clueless “thugs” and “punks.”

Meanwhile, Socialist presidential candidate Gloria La Riva - an Albuquerque native - said the “resistance” to Trump was unsurprising given the Republican’s outspoken comments to date.

“The violence is #Trump’s racist threats against immigrants, Muslims; intolerable bigotry diverts attention from the real problem: capitalism,” she tweeted.

“When you have #Trump saying he will expel #Mexicans & undocumented, what do you expect but resistance?”

The riots in Albuquerque erupted on a day when the billionaire businessman took another step towards the GOP nomination by winning the Washington state primary.

The last remaining Republican candidate, Trump is expected to reach the 1,237 delegate count during the next round of primaries in California, New Mexico, New Jersey, Montana and South Dakota. He has already claimed 1,196 delegates.

Trump’s campaign has now rolled on to Los Angeles where a rally is being held for his supporters at the Anaheim Convention Center.