Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to reflect the fact that there was one, not two flag-burning incidents.
CLEVELAND — The Republican National Convention rolled toward its climax with the appearance of the entire Trump clan and the introduction of Donald J. Trump’s vice presidential pick Wednesday night.
Taking a seat in the front row of a special floor-side box, Mr. Trump listened to the evening's lineup of high-profile speakers — his son, Eric Trump; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
But his entrance also stepped on the exit of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a bitter rival for the nomination, who was roundly booed by the delegates for a speech that failed to endorse Mr. Trump.
For more than a year, Republicans have heard the “America first” message of Mr. Trump — voiced in countless interviews and numerous debates -- and they have rewarded him with their party's nomination for president.
Wednesday night, it was time for them to hear from Mr. Pence.
Mr. Pence spoke late in the evening. The silver-haired conservative, picked to shore up Mr. Trump with the base, introduced himself to the crowd and to the national audience.
Saying he was “deeply humbled,” Mr. Pence began his remarks by accepting the convention's nomination.
“A Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order,” Mr. Pence said, echoing the description he used when his selection was announced.
In beginning a description of his upbringing, Mr. Pence said he was speaking to “those of you who don't know me -- which is most of you,” spurring laughter.
He introduced his mother and touted his history as a Reagan Republican. He hailed his wife, Karen, a schoolteacher, and his three children.
And he praised the man at the top of the ticket.
“You have nominated a man who never quits, who never backs down,” Mr. Pence said of Mr. Trump. “A fighter, a winner.”
He also criticized the current administration and the presumptive Democratic candidate, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“Let us here resolve the commitment that Hillary Clinton will never become president of the United States of America,” he said to rousing cheers. “Hillary Clinton essentially promises a third Obama term.”
Before Mr. Pence took the stage, Mr. Trump’s son Eric spoke, extolling his father. A former speaker of the U.S. House, Newt Gingrich, also spoke after being introduced by his wife, Callista.
But it was Mr. Cruz — the last major Trump rival — who made the most waves. There were vigorous cheers when he came on stage, with a scattering of boos. He extolled American values and the Republican Party and ripped Ms. Clinton and the Democrats. But it was what he didn’t say — that he endorsed Mr. Trump — that made the strongest statement.
“Say his name! Say his name!” chanted the crowd as it became obvious that Mr. Cruz was wrapping up his speech.
Whether Mr. Cruz would endorse Mr. Trump has been one of the great mysteries of this convention. Before Mr. Cruz withdrew from the primary earlier this summer, the race between them had become toxic, with Mr. Trump suggesting — though never providing any evidence — that Mr. Cruz's father, Rafeal, might have had something to do with the death of John F. Kennedy.
But the crowd still seemed appalled at the snub. And the boos rang down as Mr. Cruz finished with a “God bless each and every one of you!”
There was plenty more acrimony outside the arena earlier in the day.
Before convention delegates waved flags and vowed to return the nation to its old glory inside Quicken Loans Arena, protesters burned a flag outside and chanted, “America was never great!”
Protests turned ugly for the first time since the convention began. Outside one of the secure gates at the arena, 18 people were arrested, two for felonies.
The arrests occurred as a result of a bizarre incident at the busy corner of East 4th Street and Prospect Avenue that was crowded with tourists and media and a huge number of bicycle and foot patrol officers.
Police had been drawn there for a report that a man was going to burn a flag. He was told by police he could do so but that the Cleveland Fire Department would extinguish it. Police kept the public confined to one side of the street or the other. No burning took place most of the officers left.
That's when members of the Revolutionary Communist Party USA swept in, putting on T-shirts reading “America Was Never Great” and linking arms in a circle. Cleveland Police Chief Calvin D. Williams said one of the protesters lit a flag but in doing so caught his pants on fire as well.
An officer rushed in to help him but the protester punched and pushed him, Chief Williams said. In the scuffle the clothing of several protesters was ignited. Officers used an extinguisher to put out the fires. Two people were reported injured but declined medical treatment
A Cleveland police supervisor and an Ohio State Highway Patrol officer were injured in the brief melee. Two people were charged with felonious assault on a police officer; the 16 others were charged with inciting violence or failure to disperse.
Chief Williams said the problem wasn't the flag burning per se.
“According to my legal team and the Constitution, you can legally burn a flag if you don't incite violence or are a danger to other people while you're doing it,” he said.
Going into the convention's final day today, Chief Williams said that a total of 23 arrests since Sunday showed that most protesters are following the law and are peaceful.
However, he said there is one group — he didn't name it but said it is anarchic — whose aim isn't to present a political view.
While none if its members have yet been arrested, they have created havoc by running through stores and up to people while wearing masks, among other disruptive tactics. Additionally, police have confiscated from members items not permitted in the Event Zone, such as gas masks, tent stakes and metal screws “and almost every prohibited item,” the chief said.
“There are people who don't want to get a message across. Their only reason for being here is disruption, disorder, chaos and hurting people and damaging property,” Chief Williams said.
“Everyone else is protesting in a peaceful way, we are allowing them to do that, we are assisting them in doing that but there's one group that came here for a different reason and we're ready for them.”
Today Mr. Trump will formally accept the nomination of the Republican Party as its candidate for president in a prime-time speech.
Dan Majors: dmajors@post-gazette.com; Chris Potter: cpotter@post-gazette.com; Michael A. Fuoco: mfuoco@post-gazette.com
First Published: July 21, 2016, 5:23 a.m.