CLEVELAND _ A floor fight erupted at the Republican convention as delegates opposed to Donald Trump's nomination loudly protested during a fight over the gathering's rules.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee stood up for the Never Trump rebels, saying that it was "unprecedented" that the convention chairman walked off the stage rather than allow a roll call vote on the rules.
"A roll call vote is our right as delegates," said Lee, as protesters chanted "roll call vote!"
The uproar was a blow to Trump's claim that his team had "crushed" the uprising as the GOP struggled to unify.
"Those who are calling for unity need to keep that in mind _ if they want unity, treat us respectfully as delegates," Lee said.
The Utah senator said that a majority of delegates from 11 states had asked for a roll call vote on the rules.
Party officials said several state delegations had dropped off the petition, leaving only nine _ insufficient to force a roll call.
The Never Trump delegates want a vote on a proposal to change the rules so that delegates can vote for the presidential candidate of their choice, rather than the winner of their state's primary or caucus.
Kendal Unruh, a Colorado delegate and leader of the anti-Trump effort, accused the Trump campaign and the party of pressuring delegates to reject the roll call.
"They whipped them pretty hard," she said.
She said she didn't know who had removed their names from the petition. "We have a right to know that. We can't just take them at their word. We actually need to know who these names are."
She vowed to refuse to help Trump get elected and expressed skepticism that he would be able to unify the party.
"Not after behavior like this," she said. "Not after he's shown us that we're not wanted and not after he's said that he can win without us."
