Trump rally raises concerns over racial tensions, 'super-spreader' event in Tulsa

Source: The Hill | June 19, 2020 | Alexandra Kelley

The forthcoming rally has provoked fears among public health experts and local politicians.

Concerns are swirling ahead of President Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday, as many fear the event will further agitate unrest and tensions amid the civil rights protests, and become a “super-spreader” of the coronavirus. 

The timing and location surrounding President Trump’s rally have been hotly debated; the rally was initially scheduled on Juneteenth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., and is being held in Tulsa, where the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worst acts of racial violence in the country’s history, took place 99 years ago.  

Speaking with The Daily Beast, Oklahoma state Rep. Regina Goodwin describes scenes of supporters sitting in encampments, arriving early in line to ensure they have optimal seats. Some are bearing Confederate gear just blocks away from the site of the 1921 race massacre on Black Wall Street. 

“The point is to rally his base, and they are out there on this sidewalk wanting to be the first in line,” Goodwin said. “I’ve seen people out there sleeping with the Confederate flag symbol. Because of the racist elements that he attracts, you’re adding fuel to the fire of the racial tensions in Tulsa.”

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Outside of the civil unrest seen in the past weeks, multiple public health experts have also raised concerns over the dangers of holding a large gathering like a campaign event during a pandemic. As a state, Oklahoma is already seeing upticks in new cases, one hotspot being Tulsa itself. 

“The state was open too soon and this was predicted, and that’s what we’re getting,” said Goodwin.

According to state health department data, there are currently 9,354 confirmed coronavirus infections in Oklahoma, up 5.1 percent from the previous day.

“It’s likely that an event like this, at this particular moment, is going to be a super-spreader event,” Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University told The Daily Beast.

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