The media focus on Anti-Police movements and protests have been intense throughout the summer and continues today since the death of George Floyd. This can be argued is largely due to the implicit media and left-wing support of these movements which are targeting Law & Order and anyone who serves to ensure the rule of law in their communities. However, there have been countless pro-police, pro-law enforcement rallies going on all over the country since these movements broke out. Here, we will look at some notable rallies which have taken place across the Southwest. From Texas to Nevada, people across the Southwestern United States have gotten together to show their support for police and law enforcement in protests and rallies throughout this heated moment in our country.
One such Pro-Police Rally took place in Carson City, Nevada this summer. The rally, titled “Don’t Handcuff Our Police,” was organized by the Republican Party of Nevada and President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. Dozens of supporters gathered in the city to oppose law enforcement reform legislation which conservatives viewed as punishing the many good Police in retaliation against the very few who acted improperly. One such protestor at the event was Republican Assemblyman Jim Wheeler, who said: “Have you seen any protest against doctors? Probably one or two percent of them don’t get it right and people die.” Assemblywoman Alexis Hansen echoed these sentiments, stating that the current condemnation of Police in America was “…reminiscent of how our military and veterans were treated during Vietnam.”
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Another Pro-Police rally took place in August in the town of Gilbert, Arizona. While this protest was indeed met with counter protesters, Police reported that the gathering remained peaceful, with at least 100 participants on scene until well into the evening. According to local Police, this protest was one of many which had taken place in the town over several weeks and the demonstrations remained peaceful all but one time. One participant, Don Cherry voiced his support for police, stating “Cops are being devastated all over the country – all of them – and it’s wrong. It’s just wrong.”
In Española, New Mexico, a Back the Blue rally coalesced with a Pro-Trump rally which saw multiple conservative groups converge in a strong show of support for both Police & the President. As described by The Northern New Mexico Independent, “The relative calm of a sunny morning in Española was interrupted by the sounds of motorcycles revving their engines, cars honking, horse hooves against the pavement and shouting as a Back the Blue rally event brought with it a parade of Trump supporters from across the state.” The protest included diverse groups such as Cowboys for Trump and the Los Carnales Motorcycle Club. The organizers of the event said that they “invited people to be involved with a peaceful demonstration directly aimed at politicians who want to attack [their] constitutional freedoms and [they wanted] to back our men and women of law enforcement.” While there were also counter protestors at the event, local police noted that this protest also was peaceful in nature.
One of the largest Pro-Police rallies which has taken place in the Southwest was held in Denton, Texas in August. North Texas College Republicans and Denton County Young Republicans hosted the rally in support of police and other law enforcement officers. This rally was attended by hundreds of people! One member of Denton County Young Republicans, Vice President Tyler Miller-Shain, said “Police do a wonderful job and they need to be shown the proper support they deserve because they’re being attacked in every single way possible.” One of the most remarkable moments of this protest was an announcement made by Denton County resident, Shelley Luther. Luther is a salon owner in Dallas who was infamously arrested for simply opening her business during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns. She was at the rally to announce her bid for State Senate in Texas! She best captured the spirit of the event when she proclaimed “I will fight to keep our Texas values!”
In the months following George Floyd’s death, cities and towns across the U.S. are examining how police are funded and whether those funds are allocated in the best way for their communities. The call to defund the police is one of the greatest issues facing law enforcement at this moment. Read more here.