Trump Warns 'Agitators, Looters or Lowlifes' That His Tulsa Rally Won't Be Like Seattle
President Donald Trump issued a warning on Friday to people planning on protesting during his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday.
“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,” Trump tweeted.
“It will be a much different scene!”
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 has frequently criticized Democrats in the three cities mentioned in his tweet for not quickly responding to demonstrations that have erupted following the death of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for roughly nine minutes during an arrest.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum declared a civil emergency and put a curfew in place for Friday and Saturday night to prepare for Trump’s campaign rally on Saturday.
The curfew, which applies to the area around the rally venue, took effect at 10 p.m. Thursday and is in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday. It will also be in effect from the close of the rally until 6 a.m. Sunday.
?CURFEW IN EFFECT FOR DOWNTOWN?
As part of our preparations for President Trump’s Rally this Saturday, we are working on making the area secure for everyone’s safety.
As posted earlier, the area illustrated in this map will need to be free of vehicles and pedestrian traffic. pic.twitter.com/uT76N0IWRc
— Tulsa Police (@TulsaPolice) June 19, 2020
In a copy of the order posted on Twitter by the Tulsa Police Department, Bynum said the order is being put in place against a backdrop of civil unrest and protests in Tulsa as well as the nation, and his concerns that the Trump rally could be a flashpoint for a confrontation.
“I have received information from the Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies that shows that individuals from organized groups who have been involved in destructive and violent behavior in other States are planning to travel to the city of Tulsa for purposes of causing unrest in and around the rally,” the Republican mayor said in the executive order.
Reflecting the fear that arson could take place, the order added that “The manufacture, transfer, use, possession or transportation of a Molotov cocktail or any other device, instrument or object designed to explode or produce uncontained combustion is prohibited within the limits of the City of Tulsa.”
The Trump campaign has been criticized for holding the rally in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
In an email to the Washington Examiner, Democratic National Committee spokesman John Weber accused Trump of “putting his own supporters in harm’s way to throw himself a rally.”
Rally attendees will have their temperature checked and receive hand sanitizer and face coverings to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus at the event, The Hill reported.
Prior to registering for the rally, people also had to sign a disclaimer that they understood the health risks.
“By clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present,” the statement reads.
“By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.; BOK Center; ASM Global; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors, or volunteers liable for any illness or injury.”
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