Judge denies injunction on Trump rally over social-distancing guidelines
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
An Oklahoma judge on Tuesday denied a request to stop a rally for President Donald Trump in Tulsa unless its organizers imposed social-distancing guidelines to combat the spread of coronavirus.
Earlier in the day, two Tulsa organizations — The Greenwood Cultural Centre and the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation — along with two immunocompromised residents of the city, had sued the operators of the BOK Center, where the rally is scheduled to take place. The plaintiffs argued that the boisterous rally, with crowds of people yelling in close proximity, would be an incubator for another coronavirus outbreak.
“If ASM Global moves forward with the event without adequate review, planning, training, protective equipment, and safeguards, cases of COVID-19 — and the unavoidable attendant deaths — will rise,” the complaint said, referring to the venue management company.
The plaintiffs asked an Oklahoma court to impose social-distancing requirements for the rally, including the mandatory use of face masks, or else bar the rally until organizers agreed to implement them. But the plaintiffs were notified by phone later in the day that the judge denied their request for an injunction, according to court records.
Oklahoma currently leaves social-distancing guidelines at the discretion of business owners. Sporting venues have been permitted to reopen since May 1. Coronavirus cases have been rising in Tulsa since the beginning of the month, when some lockdown restrictions were lifted.
Meghan Blood, a spokeswoman for the BOK Center, said the venue was following the state‘s regulations for combating the coronavirus pandemic.
“Government officials have advised that the campaign rally as planned is consistent with the guidance for the OURS plan for entertainment venues, however, in the event that the governing authorities impose new restrictions, we will notify the event organizers immediately,“ Blood said in a statement to POLITICO. (OURS is an acronym for Open Up & Recover Safely.)
The Trump campaign already requires attendees to agree not to sue the campaign if they get sick. The campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said attendees would get temperature checks, masks and hand sanitizer before entering the venue.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
The rally has already drawn considerable backlash because of its original planned date of June 19 — which is also Juneteenth, a day celebrating the end of slavery in the United States — and its location of Tulsa, the site of a race massacre in 1921. As protests against police brutality and racist violence have gripped cities around the country since late May, Trump agreed to move the rally back a day, out of “respect for this Holiday.”
Both of the Tulsa organizations filing the lawsuit work to memorialize those who were targeted in the 1921 massacre, creating exhibits and educational curricula. The massacre was perpetrated by white Tulsans who burned down and killed a prosperous black economic area in the Greenwood district of the city.
The plaintiffs emphasize in their complaint that their lawsuit concerns public health, not Trump as a political figure, and that they have no intention to permanently cancel the rally. They argue that they would take the same action if the rally were for Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
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This is a tough one....
As much as it pains me, I have to go with supporting the 1st Amendment and free speech on this one.
If everyone were honest here, Trump's willingness to infect people and spread Covid speaks volumes of what is important to him, and it surely isn't his "fellow Americans" he cares about. I can hope the event will be poorly attended, but knowing of the disinformation and outright lies being put out by this administration regarding the pandemic, that's pretty much pissing in the wind too.
People have the right to assemble and speak their minds. If they choose to be misinformed, they also have the right to get infected as well.
I want to see every one of his goober supporters nose to nose and cheek to cheek during this pandemic. let the sane demand face masks and social distancing of them and their families after dick tater's circle jerk is finished.
We just had some gatherings around here that started out that way face to face but they all fell flat on their faces.
it will be interesting to see how many magatards are actually wearing face masks at POS's rally, compared to the faces of those in that picture
Um, these libtards are laying on their faces. You can't tell if they are wearing masks or not, but...
Good try.
you don't see any faces in that picture? not one?
you don't see any faces in that picture? not one?
But you can see a lot of asses, because they lying face down.
DUH!
Someone call PETA .... no masks on those dogs ....
Well, if you are saying those liberal asses are faces, then yea, I see alot of them.
Sorry, Fly..I couldn't resist.
With my level of sarcasm...... I would have taken the shot too..... No blood, no foul Bugsy.
I count 3 not counting the dogs. They're all masked.
Interesting take. Do you feel the same about the protesters? Are the organizers showing a willingness to infect people and spread Covid as you say Mr. Trump is? While I agree the two "reasons" aren't equal, no one is required to go to either. It is a personal choice to attend or not attend. It's much the same as my everyday life. Just because some restaurants and other venues may be open or opening. I choose not to jump the gun and run right out and occupy a seat at any of them.
I'm with you. We are both still keeping our distance, and limiting our contact with our friends to private outside activities at this point. Too many Covid alarm bells going off from the data we are seeing from around the country.
The protesters too are exercising their 1st amendment rights, so yes, I equally support their actions. But one has to admit there are differences if being honest with the details. One event is being planned and choreographed to the teeth. One would think that the Trump rally could have been scheduled outside, and followed the White House distancing guidelines. The protests while planned, tend to have a life of their own. If you take a close look, you can see an attempt by many of the protesters wearing masks, whereas at the Trump rally, I'm guessing masks will be few and far between.
Yes. Though I only speak of myself and no one else.
We too are still cooking at home and doing the occasional pickup/delivery order.
I agree that the first amendment needs to override all else.
What we are seeing, however, if the outlandish hypocrisy of the left wing media. When protesters were outside the state house in Michigan and I think Pennsylvania, some with face masks, some without, protesting their governors so they can open their businesses and resume their livelihoods. the media screamed that they were going to cause further outbreaks of COVID, and should be arrested for breaking the policies of the governors. Some on here, like the post below, pretty much said the same thing, that they are essentially wishing for harm to those peaceful protesters.
Fast forward 2 weeks and we have rioting, ;looting and burning outside and the left wing media says they have the right to do what they are doing and absolutely nothing about the possible spread of COVID. There were far more rioters and looters, side by side, face to face and no masks, except for those that wanted to hide their identities while they threw molotov cocktails.
People have the right to peaceful assembly, as the First Amendment states, but to push the narrative that one group is going to spread COVID, while the other pretty much gets a pass because they are pushing the narrative the media wants, reeks of the loss of a media that is only opinion and not fact based.
Most Americans see this and are fighting back, and will ultimately fight back in November.
I'm not sure what media you consider left wing, but I've seen plenty of talk on ABC evening news and across my news feeds talking about how concerned health officials are about spikes because of these protested.
These news bits are taken about a week after the riots and protests began. They had to change their narrative when they started getting heavily called out for their hypocrisy.
Over and over again we heard from these same networks you cited that these protests were justified because of the cause and zero mention of a COVID spread.
Well Bugsy..... if you take an honest look at the rate of hospitalization data in those states that were in a rush to open their economies, you will notice they are climbing, and they will most likely continue to rise until they take to heart the CDC guidelines. Will the recent and still going on protests increase infection rates? I have little doubt that they won't. By the same token, a good number of those protesters did continue to wear masks at the very least, AND they were outside.
Waaaaaaah... And the media is responsible for the petri-dish Trump rally in Tulsa?
Let's get back to the subject of this seed of the rally being legal, but is it moral?
Ok let's take a honest look. Colorado was one of the states to begin opening earliest and we are now on the third stage of reopening here. Daily hospitalizations and total hospitalizations have been decreasing not increasing.
Honesty Dean?
How about Arizona, Texas & Florida? Not quite the same rosy picture eh?
16 states declining, 22 states increasing, some rapidly and 12 state neither improving or getting worse.
Kudos for Colorado doing things by the numbers. Care to track down the same data for Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, Alabama, or Arkansas?
We have about half of the states like Colorado that through their efforts have declining hospitalization rates. The other half of the states, the reverse is happening. It just so happens that many of those states with increasing hospitalization rates were also in one damned hurry to open their states back up. And none of them were observing the CDC WH guidelines for opening up either.
That's good but Covid is raging out of control in states around you. Go have a peek at what Brazil is experiencing...
I live in one of those states (Florida) where the numbers are rising, but the hospitalization remains low. The median age for those testing positive is 37 so the majority of these people are young and probably relatively healthy, so at the most, they will see minor or no symptoms, then move on with their lives after quarantine. Also, deaths continue to drop.
The three largest, by far, areas where the numbers are rising are in democrat held cities of Miami, Ft Lauderdale and Palm Beach. The rest of the state has seen minor increases, big reductions or no cases. They are barely even in phase 1, so it seems that distancing, larger gatherings and masks are not being looked at seriously in those areas.
Never said they were. I am simply pointing out the hypocrisy of the left wing media screaming Trump is going to murder people, or peaceful protesters trying to get their lives back are going to do the same when they get together, but when the rioting and looting and protesting narrative fits one hundred percent what the media wants it to be, then those people will be martyrs if they catch COVID and die, and everybody else was simply protesting for the "cause".
You are spot on bugsy but many just refuse to acknowledge it.
It's a clear hypocrisy that resides on the left.
Florida is doing fine. The vast majority of cases are three counties in the southern part of the state. Miami, Ft Lauderdale and Palm Coast. I live in north Florida and I know no one, nor does anyone I know, know anyone that has gotten COVID.
The county I live in has approximately 17,000 residents and we have had 22 cases of COVID since the beginning of taking tallies. Not exactly people dropping like flies here.
My town has 1,400 people, 2 cases, one death.
My county however is the 15th largest in the US with 2.1 million people, 7,000+ active cases, 200 passed.
Unfortunately since returning to work 3 weeks ago, the wife's office building has been closed twice for "cleaning"
when a BoA employee contracted the virus on 6/5 and did not tell anyone until 6/12. On 6/16 one of his coworkers was stopped at the door - high fever & tested positive. Building closed the floor and elevators for cleaning again.
My beautiful bride is back to working from home/quarantine for 2 weeks.
Deaths should continue to drop with increased use of steroids and testing of potential vaccines.
But it isn't safe here, by any means.
Several restaurants and bars have experienced infected employees and had to shut down again.
just like southern Florida.
Stay safe, stay aware.
We are in Central Florida. Our county has 367,118 residents as of 2019 with 552 cases, 16 deaths and 86 hospitalized. Our zip code has had 13 cases total.
I follow the same site that you linked. Have you noticed if they take recovered people off the list in your area?
I truly hope the best for you and your wife.
I read that one of the bars in Jax Beach closed down for a day or two for cleaning because some people a week ago contracted the virus after they say they ate there as a group. Of course you can't prove that because one of them could have had it before the group walked in the door.
Another one is closed for a few more days because one of the employees popped positive. The owner said his feet were swept from under him because he never closed during the closures, and lept all of his employees.
A few minor hiccups but they will be back in full force soon.
My wife is a nurse and works in a hospital downtown that caters to mostly low income and homeless. The hospital sits square in the middle of the zip code that has the highest number of cases in the county.
Every day is a crap shoot for her and what she comes in contact with. Thankfully she does not work in the ED.
Actually around half a dozen closed, bugsy. The same thing is happening in TB with a number of restaurants and bars closing after reopening when employees started testing positive for COVID19.
Action News Jax reported at least six Jacksonville Beach businesses to be closed on Monday, including Tavern, The Wreck, Lynch’s Irish Pub, The Wine Bar, Mellow Mushroom and Graffiti Burger.
TB area.
The response from owners has varied widely. Some, like the Galley, Park & Rec DTSP and Tarpon Springs’ Rusty Bellies have shut down while the entire staff undergoes testing. Others, like Hyde Park Village’s Meat Market and Cali (formerly Ciccio Cali) in St. Petersburg, have stayed open but say they are engaging in thorough cleaning, testing and contact tracing measures. Some businesses, like Hawkers and Trophy Fish in St. Pete, temporarily closed recently as a precaution but did not say whether employees there tested positive for COVID-19.
You and your wife stay safe.
I honestly figured things like this would happen. Until there is a vaccine, little pockets will show up pretty much all over the country, even in areas that are very, very slow to open.
Hope you and yours stay safe, also.
I live in North Central Florida as well, Ocala, Marion county.
I also follow the same link as you and bugsy.
No, I never really noticed that, but if one goes by past statistics, the recoveries are far higher than the hospitalizations. The vast majority of those that catch COVID get through it just fine.
I suspect the reason why recoveries are no longer listed is because there are apparently so many people that contracted the virus and never knew it, "recovered" and went about their lives.
No way to really tell real numbers of recoveries.
We are just trying to stay away from the hot spots and larger cities. You and the Mrs. be well!
And I agree with you, there is so much "noise" in the infection data from delay with test results, false positives/negatives Etc.
For me.... it's the hospitalization rates, and we can't seem to always get access to what should be the simplest of data that can't be massaged except if they decide to post it or not. This data would also allow different parts of each state to be treated differently as to how safely our unsafely they are opening back up.
That is true in most states.
The most densely populated areas are the issue. Here in Michigan the lionshare of the cases and deaths are in a three county area in the Detroit area. For a long while the Upper Peninsula had ZERO cases, ZERO deaths and yet they had the same restriction as the Detroit area. Many counties up there still have no deaths, some still no cases.
It made no logical sense how the restrictions were doled out.
Rebekah Jones has posted an alternate site to the flawed "official" Florida site.
The site is remarkably similar to the one bugsy linked
because Rebekah built both of them.
Hopefully the information helps you all stay safer.
try this one instead.
by the same designer who was fired for claiming the Florida site's data was being manipulated by politicians with an agenda.
I have the two web sites open side by side and have to remark that there are a few windows on each of the states pages that say "no data".
The designer's new website also lists Hospital information and availability of ICU beds by hospital.
The new website shows slightly higher numbers across the board.
Thank you. I will check those out.
I assume that most of the participants are aware of the possible risks and will come prepared. It would be nice if you could provide some of the " disinformation and outright lies being put out" With so much contradictory pronouncements by the so called experts, it's difficult to know who to believe.
The crowd might be loud, but at least they won't be "protesting" by looting and burning and committing violence against innocent people and killing cops. As always, the lefties seem to want to stifle free speech, but the judge did they right thing.
Not if you're honest with the data and fact Greg.
I assume that most of the participants are aware of the possible risks and will come prepared.
That is very debatable as so many of Trump's supporters still think that Covid is a hoax, and refuse to wear masks. You can bet that masks will be few and far between at the Trump rally if they are permitted at all.
Are you sure?
The problem with those "facts" is most on the left read the first sentence of a story where numbers have gone up, but fail to acknowledge what the rest of the data says if they read the entirety of the reports.
I can't speak for every state, but Florida cases have risen because of increases in testing statewide, and hospitalizations and deaths have dropped.
And the protesters and Antifa were blamed for this from the start.
The FBI can't seem to find connections between the protesters and Antifa either.
There is also evidence that health officials have been pressured to massage data to fit the Florida Governor's drive to open the state.
I'm looking for data that specifically calls out hospitalization rates. For me that is the acid test to see if a state or the country is getting better or worse. Once I find what I'm looking for from a source I think is trustworthy, I'll post it.
This link will take you to a site that reports data from all states. I'm not overly impressed as I can't get details on how they get to their data, but I'm believing that they are calculating curves for all states the same way. If you look at Florida, you will see that the infection rate is not bending towards the horizontal but angling at a 45-degree angle that indicates the infection is spreading. Texas, Arkansas, and Arizona, all of which have been in the news recently for increases in infections, and hospitalizations have similar upward trending curves. Cause and effect would have that Florida hospitalizations for Covid are similarly going up as they are in those other states.
Once I find the charts can support in the way they are calculating the data I will post them here.
I found this article interesting.
Seems the median age in Orange County (Orlando area) Is dropping and they believe that is why hospitalizations have been low?
Something to factor in for sure..
Thanks
Trump won Oklahoma and Arkansas by about twenty points in 2016. So, why is he having to campaign there in 2020? Because people everywhere are sick and damn tired of his no good low down lying ass...
I forgot to mention he is a racist sexist homophobe...
It's not about campaigning, Trump just needs his....errr.....ego stroked.
I live in The Bronx now butt I lived in Oklahoma for over fifty years.
I had racist teachers and racist preachers. I had racist coaches and racist bosses. Of course, they would all be hurt and highly offended to be called racist...butt they were!
America has a race problem butt most white Americans are still in denial of that fact! The first step to healing is admitting you are sick and seeking help. This crisis was a long time coming butt it didn't arise from nothing!
There is no real race problem in America, other than the fake one conjured by the left wingers for political purposes.
We can thank Obama for the current problems we are having, not the Republicans or Trump.
My father always said that Oklahoma was a good state to be "from".
He my mother managed to break the circle of taught racism with their children. Three out of four of us it stuck. The fourth has managed to drink the Trump Kool-Aid and she is a full fledged, in denial racist.
Wow, doesn't sound like your sister is the only one with a problem.
Please stay on topic JBB. The topic is the Tulsa Trump Rally.
...say's the white cop with his knee on a black mans neck for nearly 9 minutes as he plead for his life.
Yeah, damn that black guy who had the gall to run for President and win, twice! How could he have done such a thing to white bigots? It's all Obama's fault! Maybe it was Obama who secretly planted the bone spurs in dirty Donald's feet preventing him from being drafted? Maybe it was Obama secretly taping Trump on the Access Hollywood bus! Maybe it was Obama who secretly re-wrote Trump speech and made him call Nazi's marching in the streets "fine people". /s
DP..... Please.... Topic.
Yup, during Obama's administration they raged and fumed in the background. Then Trump won and they found a sympathetic soul allowing them to come out into the light preaching their racism and proclaiming victimhood.
Okay folks.... The topic is the Trump Rally in Tulsa. Lets get back on topic.
My bad for straying as well.
will do...
While I agree that we have first amendment rights both protest and attend demonstration or go to a rally just because you have a right doesn’t mean that it is right. I didn’t approve of the demonstrations I don’t approve the rally because I think that we are in a critical situation and we all know that more important than wearing a mask is social distancing and I think that this takes priority over anything else Now I understand that everybody has a first amendment right to do as they please and they will but they will reap the repercussions from doing what they do I’m really rather tired of making this a partisan issue it should be a health issue and everybody seems to forget that
That's pretty much where I'm at Perrie....... Yes we have the legal right to assemble be it in protest, or political rally. The real test is if those that do, do so while considering the health of the country, their state, and their neighbors.
This is what makes democracy so hard... It requires a knife-edged balance of self vs country at all times, and selfishness is never a foundation for patriotism.
This administration has confirmed in no uncertain terms that the public health is secondary to Trump's ego.
More than 700 Oklahoma medical professionals signed a letter to Bynum this week asking him to place a moratorium on large outdoor gatherings, noting, “As our city and state COVID-19 numbers climb to a rate previously unseen, it is unthinkable that this is seen as a logical choice.”
Monica Saenz, an emergency room doctor at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, wrote in the letter that she was on the front lines in the intensive care unit and has “personally seen now close to 50 patients die a horrible death” from the disease.
“We simply don’t have the capacity to handle the number of people who will be infected because of this weekend’s activities,” Saenz wrote.
If Trump would rather have his ego stroked than protect his base, so be it.
Free country .... well mostly as of right now.
No one is holding a gun to their heads.
This is just as stupid as all the protestors, nuts to butts all over the country but again, no one is making them do it either.
Exactly. If people want to endanger their own health, it is on them. But they don't have the right to endanger other people's health.
Hey, it can suck but people are free to be jackasses in this country. The other option is much less palatable. Ask the Muslims in re-education camps in China
Funny. I don't recall you having the same attitude toward the protests and riots.
I think the protesters are playing with fire also. As far as the rioters go, they should all be rounded up and jailed. If you can provide me one quote where I said that I approve of ANY large group of people blowing off precautions, I will then apologize. BTW, if Biden was holding a rally without masks, distancing, and waivers, I would voice my disapproval about it also.
FFS people. Many that are against this rally fully supported the riots and protest the past few weeks. The ONLY reason they want the rally stopped is because it's Trump.
Get over yourselves.
I know the hypocrisy just drips off folks like that.
It’s crazy!
It's pathetic that their "safety concerns" should only be applied when it's to stop something they oppose. But if they support it, not a single f$cking word.
Pathetic is that the Cheeto-in chief refuses to set a good example for the rest of America by simply wearing a mask.
Take a good look at those protests again. A large number of the protesters were wearing masks and had the benefit of being outdoors. Lets see what a closely packed indoor event looks like from the percentages of masks being worn come Saturday.
Is that supposed to change the facts in what I said?
Seriously? They were wearing masks to hide their identity. Plain and simple. I suppose you think that's why they wore masks during the Baltimore riots as well?
I'm in support of Chump holding his rallies in accordance with the 1st amendment. But what the hell would it hurt to observe the CDC & WH guidelines by those in attendance? Furthermore, why not hold the rally outside to further protect the participants? He could pack more of his cult in that way too.
Is common sense just too much for the Trump Chumps?
Do you know for a fact that hasn't been arranged or are you just making ascinine accusations?
Common sense it what keeps me from voting blue. Being a veteran I would think you would know first hand how they devastate the military every change they get. Not to mention that their candidate for the 2016 election has been a problem in for about 40 years.
Also, his VP is the head of the CVTF yet neither of them adhere to precautions. Trump thinks masks are to make him look bad and Pense didn't wear one at WRH claiming that he wanted to be able to look people in the eye when talking to them.
Maybe you and JRinNC can play two handed gin. Buh bye.
Hey, the truth does sting sometimes but no need to take it personal.
I for one don’t understand how some people can’t see the double standard at play here. It’s as obvious a nose on a face.
You have a good one anyway though now ya hear!
Hillary (and Bill) have been hounded for 30 years or so. What has been accomplished with all that ?
Dude ! It's 6/20/2020. Be with us here and now.
I suggest you do the same. You still can't do what I asked. Not that I thought you would. Buh bye.
I just saw this on the news. Trump basically threatened protesters in a tweet if they show up to his dog and pony show.
How surprising is that really? I hope this increases the sizes of the protests. Masks of course people.