Spirit of America Rally Cleveland
Report 

 Keynote speaker Rev. Darrell Scott greets patriots

 Steve Loomis, Cleveland Police Patrolman's Assoc.

Keynote speaker Rev. Darrell Scott

Main Street Patriots founder and rally host, Ralph King

THANK YOU to all who emailed with positive messages, patriots who contributed to the GoFundMe page or the Big Box at the Rally, and THANK YOU to everyone who joined us at the Spirit of America Rally! And a big shout out to The Cleveland Police Department, who were there on horseback, on bikes, on foot, on rooftops, and onstage. 

Next up on this blog ~ Spirit of America Rally Cleveland: The Video. If you could not make the rally (or if you would like to enjoy some of it again), I'll post several segments later today. Meanwhile, cleveland.com updated its report this morning:

Supporters of President Donald Trump are scheduled to gather in downtown Cleveland and nine other locations around the state on Saturday to show support for the newly elected commander in-chief .

The prime organizer of the "Spirit of America" rallies is the Main Street Patriots., whose slogan is "It's not about left or right, it's about right or wrong."

. . .

The rallies are geared less toward countering Democratic opposition to Trump and more to expressing displeasure with the establishment Republicans that have not rallied around the new president, said Bedford resident Ralph King, who besides being a founder of Main Street Patriots, was a Trump elector and cofounder of the Cleveland Tea Party.

"Donald Trump's biggest road block is going to be the Republicans," King said. 

. . .

Other locations hosting 'Spirit of America" events in Ohio are Toledo, Belmont County, Boardman, Jackson, Zanesville, Marietta, Mansfield area, Clark County and Cincinnati.

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RNC security update

photo credit: stories.avvo.com

 At the Downtown Cleveland Resident’s RNC Impact Meeting earlier this evening, many specific questions that required specific answers instead elicited general statements intended to reassure those living and working in the downtown area during convention week. One question concerned the report that members of the New Black Panther party will be protesting in Cleveland this week and will be open-carrying firearms. True? True. 

Ohio law allows NBP members who are domiciled in Ohio to open carry. Those from out-of-state cannot. Doesn’t this pose a risk? The strategy: If you see something, say something. There will be policemen everywhere. So that’s it? Some of us wanted more specifics, especially about contingency plans when violence erupts.

As planned, I asked whether they were going to call out the National Guard. The exchange of expressions between the guy from the FBI and the Secret Service guy was telling, as though they had hoped that direct question would not be asked. The Secret Service agent fielded the question by saying that some of the plans that law enforcement has in place will remain confidential. The Ohio National Guard is listed as a partner on the RNC Cleveland website, and I took that non-answer as a yes.

My impression is that all these agencies are walking a fine line between disclosing their security plans sufficiently to reassure Clevelanders, but not so sufficiently as to give anarchists and others intent on disruption and violence, information which they will immediately take on board, the better to execute whatever violent plans they are working on.

On the way back from the meeting, we passed a lot of black SUVs with out-of-state plates, some with FBI dashboard id's, and lots of pallets on the sidewalks with barrier equipment. Going up soon. I also stopped a Cleveland Policeman on the sidewalk, thanked him for serving, and shook his hand. If I am worried about how the next week will go, how must he and his fellow officers feel?

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UPDATE Jul-13: Tina commented (see below), and I found a link to a site called DC Clothesline containing the information. Oath Keepers picked up the report here.  

Sea of Blue Support Rally Report

At noon today, Dec. 27, a crowd gathered in downtown Cleveland at Public Square to honor our men and women in blue, to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and those who risk their lives every day for our safety. Almost everyone was wearing blue to show their support. The rally included a silent march, led by an Honor Guard, to the Police Memorial opposite the Cuyahoga County Justice Center on Lakeside Ave.

Although Cleveland.com initially reported a crowd numbering in the "hundreds," it looked more like 5,000 to me. Here are some photographs (photo credits: Pat J. Dooley):

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Sea of Blue Support Rally Dec. 27

From 19 Action News:

Sea of Blue Support Rally 

DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND, OH (Source: WOIO)

Friends and supporters of Cleveland Police officers are asking for the citizens' support.

On Saturday, December 27 at 12:00 p.m., the group is holding what they are calling a "Sea of Blue Support Rally".

The rally will last until 1:00 p.m. and it's being held on Public Square in downtown Cleveland. According to the organizers, 'it's time to stick together like never before.'

They want to start telling the world that officers' lives matter.

They are also asking participants to wear blue in support of law enforcement. 

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