Curfew Imposed In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ahead Of Planned Trump Campaign Rally

Ahead of President Trump’s campaign rally this weekend, Tulsa, Oklahoma, officials imposed a curfew, hoping to keep the city calm amid a month of civil unrest across the U.S.

Mayor G.T. Bynum declared a civil emergency and imposed a curfew, beginning at 10 p.m. Thursday and extending to 6 a.m. Saturday for the downtown area in preparation for Trump’s rally at 7 p.m. on Saturday. A second curfew would then run from the end of the rally to 6 a.m. Sunday.

Bynum said the curfew was issued after he spoke with police officials about potential risks to the city during the weekend brought on by the rally. He said police found evidence “individuals from organized groups who have been involved in destructive or violent behavior in other states are planning to travel to the city of Tulsa for purposes of causing unrest in and around the rally.”

“This is an unprecedented event for the city of Tulsa and has hundreds of moving parts, we are asking for everyone’s help in making this a safe event for all citizens,” police said in a statement.

However, Trump took to Twitter and appeared to undermine Bynum and police efforts to keep the situation calm.

Bynum also said he was aware of the risk the rally poses to the health of attendees as coronavirus cases continues to rise in Oklahoma.

“Tulsa will be the first city in the country to host a major event on Saturday. We do this as our positive COVID-19 cases are rising, but while our hospital capacity remains strong,” Bynum told reporters Friday. “Some think it is great, some think it is reckless. Regardless of where each of us falls on that spectrum, we will go through it as a community.”

The rise in cases prompted the BOK Center, where the rally is being held, to request the Trump campaign’s planned safety measures for the rally.

“Given the Tulsa Health Department's recent reports of increases in coronavirus cases and the State of Oklahoma's encouragement for event organizers to follow CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines, we have requested that the Trump campaign, as the event organizer, provide BOK Center with a written plan detailing the steps the event will institute for health and safety, including those related to social distancing,” BOK Center spokeswoman Meghan Blood said in a statement.

Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said he was reviewing the request and assured proper measures were being taken. He said temperature checks would be done at the door while masks and hand sanitizer are going to be readily available.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court also heard arguments Thursday about whether or not to step in and delay Saturday's rally. The hearing was the result of a lawsuit filed by attorneys Clark Brewster and Paul DeMuro on the grounds the event would endanger the public's health.

"This is not a question of whether additional people will be affected and dying in Tulsa, it's just a question of how many," DeMuro told reporters.

A hearing was set to continue Friday.