Trump In Tulsa: Judge Junks Injunction To Stop Rally For Lack Of Health Measures

A judge in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where President Donald Trump will hold his first campaign rally after the coronavirus lockdown, has denied the injunction seeking to stop the mass gathering on Saturday (June 20).

According to KOCO News, the lawsuit filed on Tuesday (June 16) against ASM Global, the company organizing Trump's rally at the BOK Center, was not granted the court order; thus, the activities set for the Tulsa event will go as planned.

The plaintiffs, who are represented by lawyers Stephen Bruner and Shannon Martin, want the court to order ASM Global to impose vital health measures like social distancing and the mandatory wearing of face masks to prevent the spread of the virus.

Citing that the rally "will endanger not only the health of the guests in attendance" and the Tulsa community, as it is expected to draw thousands of Trump supporters, the lawsuit stated that it was not specifically aimed at the president.

"If ASM Global planned to host an event for Joe Biden, the Oklahoma City Thunder or Garth Brooks without following required social distancing protocols, (the) plaintiffs would file the same action seeking the same relief," the lawsuit read. "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."

On Monday (June 15), President Trump tweeted that there have been "almost one million" ticket requests for the Tulsa rally despite the venue’s capacity of 19,000 individuals. David McClain, the state chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, also said in a press conference that some 800,000 people had signified their intent to attend the event.

Temperature checks will be asked of the attendees, who will be provided with face masks and hand sanitizers. However, the organizers said that the use of face masks and hand sanitizers is voluntary.

Bruce Dart, the state's health department director, was hoping that the president would postpone the Tulsa event because the risk of coronavirus transmission is still present.

New COVID-19 cases in Tulsa have been spiking far beyond its numbers last April, according to Tulsa World. As of Tuesday (June 16), Tulsa County has the highest number of confirmed cases in the state and the highest seven-day rolling average with nearly 67 new cases.