The Oklahoma Supreme Court paved the way for President Trump’s Tulsa rally to take place.
The court rejected an appeal from a previous lawsuit on Friday that sought to block the campaign from holding a rally indoors on the basis that it could lead to the spread of the coronavirus. The suit, which was filed on behalf of local residents in the historically black district of Greenwood earlier this week, demanded the arena to enforce social distancing guidelines.
The plaintiffs wanted the court to issue a temporary injunction against ASM Global, the parent company of the organization that manages the BOK Center, “to protect against a substantial, imminent, and deadly risk to the community,” according to the Washington Post.
The court ruled in favor of the campaign, arguing that the state’s June 1 reopening plan allowed business owners to use discretion over social distancing measures and thus were not mandatory.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum also implemented a curfew but later canceled it, Trump announced Friday afternoon.
The president’s rally has faced a litany of criticism in the lead-up to the event.
First, the event was originally scheduled for Friday, which is Juneteenth. Also known as Emancipation Day or Black Independence Day, Juneteenth is recognized as a holiday in 47 states and the District of Columbia on June 19. The date marks the anniversary of the day in 1865 when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger announced the end of the Civil War and of slavery in Galveston, Texas. Further, Tulsa is the city where one of the deadliest race massacres in the United States occurred in 1921.
The campaign ultimately decided to push the event back a day.
Additionally, amid criticism that the Trump campaign would put people’s health at risk, it announced that the temperatures of supporters entering the venue would be taken, and masks would be given out. Face coverings, however, would not be required.
