Progressives Protest POTUS & More in America's Reddest State: Misinformation & Left-Wing Conspiracy Theories Abound

Climate change demoted amid reactions to Trump's first days back in Oval Office

Within a whirlwind of policy reversals by the incoming presidential administration, on Saturday, February 1st, a protest was held on the steps of the State Capitol of Oklahoma, the only state in which now President Donald Trump recently won the November 2024 vote count in all counties (77).

No host organization was identified on social media posts promoting the event, though each highlighted a wide range of targeted issues from immigration to climate change to abortion and more.

From the event’s start, a small group of Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) troopers mitigated any opportunity for violence by separating the crowd of around 200 to 250 protestors from a group of approximately eight (8) counter-protestors associated with the organization Official Street Preachers.

The street preachers held large signs that invoked observable anger from protesters. With megaphones blaring on both sides, they used scripture to rebut messages on protestor signs and preached harshly about sin as dozens yelled colorful words in return.

At first, this journalist was told to pick a side and stay there. After identification, the OHP supervisor quickly accommodated the back and forth movement of the free press to gain comments from both sides. V1SUT extends thanks to the OHP for their professionalism.

When asked why they chose to attend, answers from the Official Street Preachers members were short and simple. Pastor David Grisham stated, “Law and order.” Grisham briefly explained law and order were biblical mandates. The front of his shirt read “Heaven has walls, hell has open borders”.

A woman with the group said “sin” was her reason for attending and facing what was a growingly hostile crowd. She explained Christ was the answer to sin, and they came to preach repentance and redemption.

Finding a common theme or demand among the protestors on the other side of the OHP line of officers was more challenging. Unlike the March for Life or a pride protest, a singular call to action was lost within a sea of handmade signs including some difficult to decipher.

It appeared to be more of a collective venting among a disjointed group of causes than a protest expecting any specific outcome or change.

Many were willing to share thoughts about why they attended. Some took issue with federal policy, others with a state level fight. Others were unaware state level leaders had no control of the actions or potential actions they were protesting.

Immigration & Deportation: The Number One Issue

A Hispanic woman in her 20’s expressed her concerns about US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entering Chicago schools and believed State Superintendent Ryan Walters (R) should be blocking similar raids within Oklahoma schools.

“My parents are migrants…I’m worried about other people….Mainly that they’re targeting the kids at the school. He (Trump) says they’re taking criminals and that’s not true because why are they going to the schools. Kids aren’t criminals. They have nothing to do with this,” she stated.

A discussion revealed she was unaware of later reports confirming the recent law enforcement presence near a Chicago school did not involve ICE and was related to a security concern.

The young woman did not understand Walters has no authority over ICE and was unaware he recently sued ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) related to the negative impacts of illegal immigration on Oklahoma schools.

She had not seen Walters’ recent statement clarifying ICE would only enter Oklahoma schools “to ensure that deported parents are reconnected with their children and to keep families together”. She was visibly, and perhaps unnecessarily, anxious about the fate of people she loved due to speculative headlines containing misinformation.

In response to the conflicting information, she expressed, “That doesn’t make sense to me…it’s hard to know what’s true.”

Another group donning signs protesting recent deportations by ICE agreed families should be kept together but believed criminal illegals should be arrested and stay within American jails.

When asked if they understood why US taxpayers might not want to pay for the care and imprisonment of non-citizen criminals, several sympathized with that objection but not enough to change their own positions.

Others were unwilling to converse about their opinions, openly flying flags from other countries with faces behind signs demanding rights for non-citizens as American flags dragged the ground throughout the event.

Many signs expressed contempt for ICE and Walters while calling to abolish the former and impeach the latter. “Chinga la Migra”. For non-Spanish speakers, chinga is the F-word. La migra is a catch-all term for US Border Patrol and/or ICE. Their position suggests the American government and it’s citizens have no right to protect their own borders.

Freedoms Surrounding Alternative Sexualities

Multiple protesters expressed concerns about the potential retraction of rights for “LGBT” individuals.

A female teen said, “I’m 16, so I couldn’t vote in this election. I didn’t get to choose…If I decide to marry, I can’t get out of marriage. If I decide to marry whoever I love, I won’t be allowed to marry the woman I love.”

After a clarifying conversation about the current law of the land under the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015, and the current ability for same-sex couples to marry in fifty (50) states, she expressed she’s still concerned, “Because Trump is taking away so many things so quickly…he’s taking away rights left and right.”

The teen seemed unaware that Trump just rehired Richard Grenell, an openly gay man who served as Ambassador to Germany and Acting Director of National Intelligence during Trump’s first term. Grenell is now one of Trump’s most trusted envoys.

For some protestors with signs in hand, it was difficult to understand just what they were trying to express beyond a suggested disdain for Christianity. There was a lot of that.

Education & LGBT ‘Rights’ - Compromise Unlikely

A group of educators expressed their concerns about the potential deportation of students, what they view as the introduction of religion to classrooms through Walters’ placement of a bible in all social studies and history classrooms, and Trump’s erasing of LGBT student rights at school.

Is there still room for compromise? Would eliminating the instruction of any specific religion AND any talk of adult sexuality from classrooms bring everyone back on better terms? These educators expressed little hope for such a solution.

Concerns about heathy child development or overstepping boundaries with families were not expressed during the brief exchange.

Abortion: Men Left Carrying Her Purse

Unlike other issues where confusion and misinformation was common, those carrying signs in favor of ‘women’s rights’ were fully informed and accurately aware that states have held the policy making reigns since 2022 when SCOTUS voted 5-4 to overturn Roe v. Wade (1973).

What was observable was the lack of fight in male protestors regarding their own rights to make decisions involving their unborn children. Men were relegated to holding signs saying “I’m with her” or “making her story”.

Just Like That, Climate Change is the Step-Child of Progressive Causes

Despite the mention of climate change within posts promoting the event, the issue has observably taken a nosedive in popularity and urgency. Among the entire crowd, only one small line on a catch-all sign stated “Global Warming IS Real”.

Apparently, climate change (or global warming) is suddenly no longer an existential threat.

The Rise in Left-Wing Conspiracy Theories: Nazis, Fascism & Project 2025

When asked why he chose to attend the protest, one articulate and passionate young man combined multiple issues and named Project 2025 as the problem.

“The state of our country and the right-wing fascism that’s taken stronghold in America…Just lumping all from immigration to LGBT rights, the fact that the government has erased T from LGBTQ. They ceased individuals from being able to renew and obtain passports so stripping them of their right to travel which is granted in the federal constitution. The fact that our current president is trying to get rid of birthright citizenship. It’s all laid out in Project 2025.”

The protestor accurately connected Project 2025 with the Heritage Foundation, but described the conservative think tank as an “alt right wing group” that has “strategically positioned people in power from Congress to judges to governors such as our own (Gov Kevin Stitt-R), and they now have the majority of power to enact their plans.” In other circles, that’s known as politics, lobbying and the two-party system.

When asked if Trump is behind Project 2025, he stated, “Absolutely, Project 2025 namedrops Donald Trump over 83 times.” He didn’t mention how many times a day CNN namedrops Donald Trump. In fact, CNN now has a daily “Trump Presidency” update page.

According to the protestor, “As a true patriot to our country I’m not going to let our country slip into the hands of neo-Nazis and fascists.”

Meanwhile, just steps away on the same side of the protest, two Antifa-like figures, faces covered, wearing all black and observably circling the group in a somewhat fascist-like manner, fled in opposite directions as this journalist approached to ask for their comments.

Later arriving, similarly dressed individuals were less nervous and allowed their photographs to be taken. The weather was great, and the Nazi theme was popular.

Some Plan to Leave Oklahoma After National Mandate Moves America Right

Several protestors with differing top issues revealed personal plans to leave Oklahoma. Oddly, after living for years or even nearly a lifetime as what one described as “the resistance in a highly conservative state”, they see now as the time to relocate to a different state despite the majority of Americans nationwide voting red in the November 2024 election.

They are giving up and seeking to join the like-minded. But where to go as the nation shifts right? All those asked named Oregon as their destination of choice. It looks like Oklahoma is about to get even redder.

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