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Some 6,200 people attended the Trump event, according to Tulsa firefighters; campaign blames protesters and 'radical' media

2020-06-22T18:45:22.443Z


Official figures indicate that there were far fewer people than expected. Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh questioned the count and said there were blockades by ...


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Trump said he asked to delay testing of covid-19 2:15

(CNN) - Just under 6,200 people attended the US President's campaign event. Donald Trump in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Tulsa Fire Department said Sunday, a figure the Trump re-election campaign is contesting as it also seeks to blame "radical" protesters and the media because the crowd turned out to be more small than expected.

The department monitored the crowd at the Bank of Oklahoma Center, an arena that can hold more than 19,000 people, and public information officer Andy Little told CNN that Saturday's general admission count does not include holders of the suites, the staff and the media.

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Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh questioned the department's count on Sunday, saying "12,000 people passed through metal detectors, so that number is far away." He added that the lower part of the BOK Center, which welcomed attendees on a first-come, first-served basis, was mostly full.

Trump and his allies had raised the expectations of a massive crowd in the days leading up to the rally, with campaign officials telling CNN that more than 1 million people had registered to attend, and a local official stated they expected that 100,000 will show up near the arena. Those crowds did not appear Saturday, prompting the campaign to abruptly abandon plans for the president to speak in an area outside the arena.

The Trump campaign has tried to blame "radical" protesters, including saying some were allegedly blocking metal detectors, for scaring some of the president's supporters into assisting Trump's return to the campaign in Tulsa on Saturday.

Several CNN teams on the ground in Tulsa said Saturday that they did not see any protracted activity by protesters preventing attendees from gaining access, although one entrance was closed for short periods of time due to efforts to block that entry point.

Late on Saturday night, a Secret Service spokesperson told CNN in a statement that the entrance to the Tulsa rally was temporarily closed and then reopened to allow people to enter. The statement is consistent with what CNN observed outside the campaign event.

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"Earlier today, several people attempted to block an entrance to the site in Tulsa," the statement said. “For the safety of attendees, the public, and event staff, the local police temporarily closed the doors at that entry point. As soon as the local police were able to provide a clear path, the entry point was reopened and attendees were allowed in. For information on any arrests, contact the City of Tulsa Police Department. ”

When asked why the number of attendees was so much lower than anticipated, Murtaugh blamed "radical protesters" on Saturday night, saying that the media coverage of the protests had attempted to "scare supporters of the President".

President Trump is performing in Tulsa alongside thousands of energetic supporters, a stark contrast to the sleepy campaign Joe Biden is running from his basement in Delaware. Unfortunately, protesters interfered with supporters, even blocking access to metal detectors, preventing people from entering the event, "he said. Radical protesters, along with a relentless onslaught from the media, tried to scare the president's supporters. We are proud of the thousands who resisted. "

Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said Sunday that Trump "has abdicated leadership and it is not surprising that his supporters have responded by abandoning him."

"Donald Trump's presidency was already in a tailspin because of his mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic and his unpleasant fomentation of hatred and division in the wake of the tragic murder of George Floyd. Then it was discovered that it was undermining US national security and begging the Chinese government to help it win a second term, ”he said.

CNN contacted the Tulsa Police Department for comment on the security situation on Saturday.

From Saturday afternoon until night, CNN correspondents and producers reported that there were protesters in the downtown area, although a large security perimeter prevented them from entering blocks from the BOK Center.

Correspondent Martin Savidge and a CNN producer reported that a security checkpoint at 4th Street and Boulder Avenue in downtown Tulsa was closed for about 15 to 30 minutes on Saturday afternoon. Part of the shutdown was shown live on CNN, amid a clash between police and protesters.

A crowd of dozens of anti-Trump protesters were protesting at the scene, and an equally large group of Trump supporters observed them and sometimes verbally rebuked them. The police, wearing helmets, shields, and batons, ordered the crowd to move away from the entrance, telling them that the doors would not reopen until they did. The crowd finally withdrew and access to the projection area was resumed.

The incident appeared to be a temporary disruption that did not significantly prevent a large crowd from attending the demonstration, as people were able to pass through security the rest of the afternoon and evening.

CNN digital producers Jeremy Moorhead and Gabe Ramirez reported from two of the three public entrances to the demonstration, and did not witness any protesters trying to block access to the demonstration. The scenes there were peaceful, they reported, until some clashes occurred later in the night when supporters left the area around the arena.

CNN correspondent Abby Phillip reported that when she went through security in the overflow area there were very few people entering it and that protesters could not possibly access the location of the metal detectors.

And CNN correspondent Gary Tuchman, who reported from various places in the center and spoke to several Trump supporters, said that no one mentioned the problems referenced in the campaign statement.

CNN's Abby Phillip, Martin Savidge, Gary Tuchman, Augie Martin, Jeremy Moorhead, Anne Clifford, Matt Hoye, Dana Bash, Maeve Reston, Daniel Shepherd, DJ Judd and Gabe Ramirez contributed to this report.

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-06-22

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