WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday morning issued a thinly veiled threat to individuals who want to protest his campaign rally scheduled for Saturday evening in Tulsa, Okla., adding divisive rhetoric to a Juneteenth holiday that is serving as a moment of national reflection over the country’s racist history. “Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter. “It will be a much different scene!”In his tweet, Mr. Trump drew no distinction between peaceful protesters, whose right to assemble and speak out is protected by the First Amendment, and violent looters, some of whom were responsible for vandalism and fires that broke out during largely peaceful demonstrations across the country expressing outrage over the killing of George Floyd. Mr. Trump issued his threat on Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States and that has taken on added significance for many Americans this year. The White House on Friday issued a Juneteenth message that itself was discordant with Mr. Trump’s online remarks, committing to “live true to our highest ideals and to build always toward a freer, stronger country that values the dignity and boundless potential of all Americans.”

Source: New York Times June 19, 2020 14:51 UTC