Donald Trump Threatens Protesters in Tulsa, Here's Why Bynum Wanted US President to Postpone Rally

As Trump preps up for his first re-election rally of 2020 since the lockdown, G. T. Bynum, the Mayor of Tulsa in Oklahoma has rescinded the curfew that was announced on Thursday. After days of unrest owing to White House's declaration on President's rally in Tulsa, Bynum had warned that the city is reeling in major unrest, as "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," his FB post had read.

However, later on Friday, Bynum scrapped the executive order and canceled the curfew. Bynum was never for conducting Trump's rally in Tulsa, given the COVID-19 outbreak. Tulsa saw a rise in the COVID-19 new cases in this past week, after which Bynum expressed his anxiety on social media and wrote, "Do I share anxiety about having a full house at the BOK Center? Of course. As someone who is cautious by nature, I don't like to be the first to try anything. I would have loved some other city to have proven the safety of such an event already."

Many critiques from all around the world have been criticizing Trump over his ways to handle the pandemic situation that has led to the most number of deaths in the US and now the George Floyd protests that has revoked the need to completely abolish racial discrimination from the country. Tulsa that accommodates only 15.3 percent Blacks or African Americans, has at least 64 percent of whites alone.

'Black Wall Street': Unnoticed in Syllabus, History

The 'Black Wall Street' as it is called, originally the Greenwood District in Tulsa was a major business spot between 1916-23. The blacks have invaded the market and made sure that the work is in progress until this was noticed by a few "envious" Whites, Mechelle Brown, director of programs at the Greenwood Cultural Center was quoted as saying by CNN. The cold tension between the blacks and the whites awaited a tragedy that is said to have taken place inside an elevator.

A 17-year-old girl who was an elevator operator was allegedly assaulted by a 19-year-old black boy. Brown recalls, "One particular day after the elevator doors closed and Sarah Page (17) and Dick Rowland (19) were alone in the elevator a few moments, there was a scream." The girl never pressed charges as a word was out then that, "Rowland had tripped while leaving the elevator and that he grabbed on to Sarah's arm, is when she screamed. However, an onlooker noticed this and went to inform the authorities," Brown narrates.

This did not end here. On May 31, groups of White men barged into Greenwood and over 35 square blocks were set ablaze and over 1,100 homes were destroyed, according to the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum. This went on to be one of the most gruesome events in global history, as many blacks were brutally killed by white men and women who formed groups against blacks, in Greenwood and other downtown areas.

Referring to the 1921 massacre, the US Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma told CNN, "Oklahoma schools did not talk about it. In fact, newspapers didn't even print any information about the Tulsa Race Riot...It was completely ignored. It was one of those horrible events that everyone wanted to sweep under the rug and ignore."

Trump's Rally Today After Repeated Warnings by Tulsa Mayor

Relating these excerpts to Trump's statement where he accepted that he or anyone of his crew, did not have any knowledge on what is "Juneteenth", it is very likely to have offended the residents of Tulsa. Mayor Bynum referred to a few bad forces and said that they are traveling to Tulsa, to cause unrest and pleaded the US President to postpone the rally. The Mayor attempted stopping Trump from rallying in Tulsa, by declaring a curfew. All these efforts went in vain and Trump has now thanked Bynum for having the curfew canceled.

The curfew was announced by Bynum in Tulsa from Thursday evening till Saturday at 6 am, which was later extended till 6 am on Sunday. The White House however compelled the Mayor to withdraw his decision, Trump has now openly threatened the protestors and said that the action taken against them in Tusla will be different from what happened in Minneapolis, Seattle, or Boston.

He said, "Protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes would not be afforded. Please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene," Trump's tweet reads.

Alike many statements by Trump that offends communities, this one did too. In order to clarify his statement further, Trump's spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said, "The President is for peaceful protestors....Violent protesters, anarchists, looters, the kind of lawlessness that we saw play out before President Trump came out with the National Guard and calmed our streets with law enforcement."

Meanwhile, Rev. Al Sharpton,the Civil Rights Leader and Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN) reacted to Trump's warning for protesters and said, "I read this morning the President was talking about warning lowlifes. What is lowlifes that who shoot unarmed people Mr. President. It's lowlifes who have prosecutors who don't prosecute the law but look out for their friends. You couldn't be talking about us because we fought for the country when it wouldn't fight for us.

You couldn't be talking about us because we went to foreign shores where those we fought could come and check into hotels that we couldn't. And eat in restaurants that we couldn't, and we still stood for America. You don't know what greatness is? Just look over here in Greenwood tonight. This is what is great about America!," Sharpton said.

It is yet to be seen as to what President Donald Trump has in words for the people of Tulsa. Here is a tweet by Trump's event manager that shows a brief detail of the massive gathering.