Read on Twitter
I’m heading back down to the Maricopa County Elections Department, where pro-Trump protests were already set to begin in two hours.
Only about 25 people here. No chants.
More people arriving, but still doesn’t feel like anything has really gotten underway yet. Lot of media here as well
5 mins to rally start time. This is a lot more people than have been here by this time in previous days.
Charlie Kirk, founder of far-right campus group Turning Point USA, is speaking to the rapidly growing crowd. “This race is still very much in play in the state of Arizona,” he says.
This is growing quite fast. Not a crowd size expert by any means but i would guess 500 people.
This is not going to fit in this parking lot (aka the “free speech zone” as designated by the sheriffs office...) much longer
County just wheeled these out. Livestream has been up but the signs are new as far as I know
(Sorry, for non-Spanish speakers here’s the English version). County employee says they’re brand new and it was a “decision from the top.”
Alex Jones contingent has broken off into a separate gathering in the street. He’s leading them in a chant of “arrest bill gates!” And “Arrest joe biden!”
The protest has fully spilled out into the street across four lanes. Police looking on from elections department and at edges of crowd. Announcers encouraging more people to come
Sole man who gave his name as Ron just showed up here with a Biden Harris sign. Got shouted at. Police intervened. Trying to upload video
“I’m a lifelong Democrat,” said the man while surrounded. He said he’d come bc he’d been “threatened by a lot of the neo-nazi brownshirted racists in my own neighborhood in Peoria where they threaten me with physical violence.” He was then pulled aside by law enforcement
Crowd now chanting COUNT THE LEGAL VOTES
This guy is back
Here’s the video of the altercation earlier. Tried to upload sooner but service is awful
Crowd has thinned out a lot.
Small group now with people taking turns talking about the election being stolen etc. “This is scary,” one says, “President Trump has to win.” Taking a break for a bit.
Back. Evening crowd is gathering.
This guy asking listeners to tell everyone they know to come to the elections center. Leads the crowd in a chant of “count the legal votes! We are watching you!”
Guy on the bike showed up to ask people: “why are you protesting?! They’re already counting the votes!”
Also this is happening...
Crowd now approaching the elections department to chant at the people counting inside. Earlier today an elections official told me the chanting can in fact be heard indoors
The merch being sold at this protest now includes body armor. The person selling it, who did not want to be identified, said it might be needed later in the week if “civil war” erupted.
There are def more guns tonight, but it isn’t tense. A few more counterprotesters and observers too. Brookley Lynde, 25, was watching across the street. She said she didn’t feel the need to engage. “It’s like how they protested the coronavirus,” she said. “There’s no purpose.”
No awareness that Biden is speaking yet here as far as I can tell
This guy is back. He got shouted down/confronted yesterday over this sign but today nobody is reacting much.
