Washington: Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump scrapped a rally Friday in Chicago, as protesters scuffled with his supporters in the latest show of ire against the brash billionaire.

Thousands of people had gathered at a University of Illinois at Chicago venue when clashes broke out.

In a statement Trump said that ‘for the safety of all of the tens of thousands of people that have gathered in and around the arena, tonight’s rally will be postponed to another date.’

It was the second time Friday that a Trump rally was disrupted by people opposed to the outspoken real estate mogul who seems on a relentless path to his party’s nomination for the November election.

CNN estimated there were between 8,500 to 10,000 people in the Chicago arena when tensions erupted into chaos.

News footage showed police wearing body armour escorting groups of people out of the building, as scuffles and angry confrontations broke out throughout the building between Trump supporters and protesters.

The rally was being held at the University of Illinois at Chicago, in a part of the city that CNN described as ethnically diverse.

The situation inside the arena appeared to be close to spinning out of control, before security flooded the arena and people began to disperse.

Earlier in the day Trump was interrupted by protesters several times at a rally in St. Louis, Missouri.