President Trump warned protesters planning to demonstrate outside his upcoming rally in Oklahoma.
“Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!” Trump tweeted Friday.
Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 19, 2020
Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, his first in months because of the outbreak of the coronavirus in the United States, is set to take place on Saturday. Dozens of people were already lined up on Thursday.
I’d estimate about 2 dozen Trump supporters are already lined up outside the BOK center ahead of Saturday’s rally. Security barricades can also be spotted on nearby streets ahead of the president’s visit – his first rally since early March. pic.twitter.com/wBeG6NlB1m
— Mark Meredith (@markpmeredith) June 18, 2020
Trump did not clarify what he meant in his message to protesters or why he mentioned New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis, which have been hotbeds of protest activity following the death of George Floyd in police custody.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum declared a civil emergency in the city, establishing a weekend federal exclusion zone and a curfew with the exception of large gatherings, including protests to Trump’s event.
The overnight curfew restrictions, which extend into Sunday, prohibit people from walking, running, loitering, standing, or motoring on alleys, streets, highways, public property, sidewalks, or other vacant areas unless they are on duty in response to the emergency. The curfew Saturday night starts when the Trump rally ends and stretches to 6 a.m. on Sunday.
Earlier this week, the Trump campaign said they received a million requests for tickets to the event being held at Tulsa’s BOK Center.
“Over 1M ticket requests for the @realDonaldTrump #MAGA Rally in Tulsa on Saturday,” Trump reelection campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted Monday. The center can hold up to 20,000 people.
Over 1M ticket requests for the @realDonaldTrump #MAGA Rally in Tulsa on Saturday.
Before entering each guest will get:
✅Temperature check
✅Hand sanitizer
✅MaskThere will be precautions for the heat and bottled water as well.
— Brad Parscale (@parscale) June 15, 2020
Critics have laid into Trump for scheduling a rally while coronavirus fears are still high, and a lawsuit was filed by stakeholders in Tulsa’s Greenwood District in an effort to ensure the rally follows specific guidelines to combat the spread of the virus.
Trump shot back by claiming these same critics did not make similar complaints in response to the Floyd protests.
“The Far Left Fake News Media, which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities, is trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies,” Trump tweeted. “Won’t work!”
The Far Left Fake News Media, which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities, is trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies. Won’t work!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2020
Preliminary coronavirus testing data showed recent protests against racial injustice in several cities and states haven’t caused a surge in new cases.
