US President Donald Trump announced he is rescheduling his campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma to June 20th out of respect for the June 19th holiday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th June, 2020) US President Donald Trump announced he is rescheduling his campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma to June 20th out of respect for the June 19th holiday.
Trump drew widespread criticism after initially setting the campaign stop for Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, amid the racially charged atmosphere in the country following the killing of George Floyd.
"Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests," Trump tweeted late on Friday.
The president added that over 200,000 tickets have been requested.
Trump, however, did not change the location, with critics pointing to Tulsa's troubled racial history. In 1921, white residents carried out a race massacre against affluent black neighborhoods in the city which left hundreds dead and injured and over 10,000 homeless.
The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked protests around the country which eventually spread to many parts of the world, decrying police brutality and institutionalized racism.
