On the Ground at the Patriots Rally to Reopen Arizona
Phoenix Arizona April 20, 2020 – It was a beautiful day to attend an event in support of The Bill Of Rights against the backdrop of recent COVID-19 measures taken by local, state, and federal governments, “High Noon”, at the Patriots Day Rally saw thousands of patriots of all ages, races, and religions enmassed at the bill of rights memorial across from the state capital before marching over to Governor Doug Ducey’s office to deliver petitions, with hundreds of thousands of signatures, demanding he reopen the state asap.
There were quite a few speakers from state politicians, candidates, business owners, to healthcare workers. Rather than delving into each of them, you can find speeches and videos here and here on Facebook and Twitter. Local Media outlet reports can be seen here and here.
I am here to take you along with me, just an America Patriot, for a Birdseye view sharing what I experienced. I arrived before the “High Noon” kick-off, hassle-free parking my vehicle in the lot about a half-mile away, and made my way on foot to rally down 17th street as I strolled. To either side of me progressing along, was a young woman in her twenties and her boyfriend, an elderly gentleman perhaps seventy-ish. Other participants in groupings also moved about with an air of calm ad resolve. Some carried signs saying “open up Arizona” or “land of the free.” Still, others carried the American Flag, and some adorned Trump hats and T-Shirts. What I viscerally felt was a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. We all had one thing in common, which was to stop what we deemed a shift towards tyranny and complacency to do so, and a clarion call to reverse course back to a representative republic who defends Civil Liberties. Check out a couple of snaps I took:
I could see overhead in the sky both police and News Helicopters and even flying drones appearing to monitor crowd control. Although there was no official entrance to the rallying point, I could see the first hint of a skirmish ahead.
Two women in surgical scrubs appeared engaged in a heated conversation with another woman and a sheriff’s deputy armed with what I assume was an M4. The skirmish did not last long, but you got the distinct feeling that these women were not healthcare workers on leave from caring for COVID-19 patients, but more like crisis actors or Democrat party operatives.
Those gathered to peacefully protest may not have been the full six feet apart, but they were not overly crowded upon one another as some news outlets wish to represent in their reporting once they made way to open space. I would not say masks were a priority in the crowd. Shortly before 1 pm (PST), and about an hour into the rally, Patriots started a short walk up to the State Capital, where everyone walked through the metal detectors into the State Capital to deliver the petitions proudly. Throughout the event, I met and conversed with many fine patriots, and the Arizona state capital police were very kind, and aside from the one skirmish with the two women at the beginning, it went fairly smoothly. The right to redress your government is essential to our liberty.
Arizona is in a list of many states who recently had gatherings of citizens peacefully protesting shutdowns across the country. Austin, Texas, Salt Lake City, Utah; Boise, Idaho, Annapolis, Maryland; Indianapolis, Indiana, and Carson City and Las Vegas, Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, California, Montana, and Illinois, to name a few. What is clear is where ever an event is planned, a small number of medical professionally clothed counter-protesters emerge to block the street or flow of rally goers. This obstructive action is not considered a peaceful intervention.
I would note that as of Monday, Arizona Department of Health Services, the latest totals are 5,064 cases and 187 deaths related to COVID-19. KTAR News, “For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.”
KTAR News equally noted, “Arizona, and the rest of the U.S., has seen a massive increase in unemployment filings as people who lost their jobs apply for benefits. The state reported it had more than 95,000 new claims last week, bringing the four-week total to more than 342,000. The average before the virus hit was about 3,500 claims a week.”
When asked for a response to the protest, Governor Ducey’s office issued the following statement:
“We appreciate the passion expressed by Arizonans today, and we share their desire to get back to normal as quickly as possible. Governor Ducey is working closely with President Trump, Vice President Pence, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx, Dr. Cara Christ and state, local and federal health experts to implement the latest guidance from CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and the White House. Every decision we make will continue to be informed by public health and a commitment to reenergizing our economy when it is responsible and safe to do so.”
This patriot and those who attended today’s rally hope to see Arizona move into phase one of reopening America within days and swiftly pass through to stage three. I also agree with a 66-year-old retiree from Scottsdale, Michael Apodaca. When interviewed by a local news station and wearing his Trump 2020 hat, he said: “We need to open up the state, we need to open up the country, the people reject what they’ve done, and they reject the notion of taking our rights.”
