Ahead of a planned protest against President Donald Trump's policies in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma's governor claimed he had to take action during the 2020 protests while local officials stood aside.
The No Kings National Day of Defiance The event has been planned for Saturday, June 14, in response to what organizers call authoritarian actions from the Trump administration and Saturday's multimillion-dollar, Washington, D.C., military parade to honor the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary.
In a video posted on Gov. Kevin Stitt’s X account, the governor spoke to Newsmax about the upcoming protests — planned in hundreds of cities across the nation — and Oklahoma's response to the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.
"Even some of our big city mayors in Oklahoma were really just refusing to kind of get involved, so then as the governor I stepped in. I had our state police down there arresting people," he said.
The Oklahoman reported between May 30 and May 31 In 2020, the Oklahoma City Police Department made 24 arrests on allegations including vandalism, assault on police officers, and violating Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt’s emergency curfew order.
Holt, who was only two years into his first term at the time, talked to protesters and met with leaders from Black Lives Matter. Over the following days, the city council held a six-hour meeting to listen to public comments on race relations and police work , according to The Oklahoman.
"Protesting is a part of American life and it is generally a routine event in OKC. I have full confidence that everyone will handle any scheduled events appropriately," Holt told The Oklahoman over text.
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Stitt: 'You simply arrest them and this stuff will stop'
Meyer Siegfried, a spokesperson for Stitt, said that due to the governor's intentional preparations and strong warnings in 2020, protests did not escalate to the violent events seen in other states.
"Governor Stitt strongly believes in Americans' First Amendment rights and expects any demonstrations or protests to remain peaceful," Siegfried said. Stitt did activate the Oklahoma National Guard during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
... I do not want to see people blocking intersections, I don’t want to see broken windows, people carrying stuff out of a Target," Stitt said when recalling the 2020 protests. "I said 'You simply arrest them and this stuff will stop,' and that’s exactly what we did. We didn’t have the unrest that you saw in other big cities around the country.
Since 2020, the city has adopted 39 recommendations from a task force and working group formed out of those conversations in 2020. So far, 16 recommendations have been implemented, including review of de-escalation, use of force and mental health response, and another 11 are close to implementation.
Working on implementation is the Public Safety Partnership, a collaboration of city leaders, police officers, subject matter experts, and community members.
How is Oklahoma law enforcement preparing for the 'No Kings' protests?
With 13 demonstrations planned across the state, including one in Oklahoma City and three in Tulsa, law enforcement officials are preparing to keep the public safe.
Stitt has already taken to social media to tell protesters that while “peaceful assembly is allowed,” the state troopers are “standing ready.”
In Oklahoma, we won't tolerate any threats to our communities, citizens, property owners or law enforcement," Stitt added in a post made on Wednesday, June 11. "Just like the summer of 2020, if they show up in our state, we will arrest anyone breaking the law — that's a fact.
Commissioner Tim Tipton of the Department of Public Safety could not be reached by the time of publication, but he told News 9 State troopers protect the right to assemble and peacefully protest, but if a protest turns violent, they’re prepared. So far, they’re expecting a peaceful protest and haven’t seen any credible threats.
In Oklahoma City, the "No Kings OKC" march will start at 9 a.m. at the corner of Hudson Avenue and Oklahoma City Boulevard. The march will end at City Hall Park, where a rally with speakers will take place, ending at noon.
Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Dillon Quirk said the department is "aware" of the planned protest.
"Those gathering are free to peacefully assemble, however if someone chooses to violate or break the law, it will be addressed by law enforcement," Quirk said.
The department did not respond to a question regarding whether the department is taking any specific safety measures ahead of the protest.
Lawton's annual Army birthday parade canceled
In Washington, D.C., a military parade honoring the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary was held. th The anniversary is still occurring as scheduled, but there are no “No Kings” protests planned in the district so as not to detract from honoring veterans, according to national protest organizers.
The parade could cost anywhere from $25 million to $40 million, USA TODAY reported, and will feature dozens of armored combat vehicles, helicopters, vintage warplanes, thousands of soldiers in uniforms from the Revolutionary War to the present, horses, two mules, and a dog.
This is not intended to be performative," Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told USA TODAY. "We sincerely believe this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
But the city of Lawton, Oklahoma, home to the Army’s Fort Sill, shared in a social media post that it has canceled its own annual Army birthday parade due to credible security threats amid planned protests.
"When credible intelligence indicated almost certain violence from groups with national ties, we faced an impossible choice. We simply cannot invite families and children to an event where violence is very likely to occur. No celebration is worth putting our community, especially our children, at risk," the post said.
A group called "Lawton Veterans United for Action" was approved to march in the parade, and according to KSWO-TV in Lawton and an event page , planned to use their spot in the parade to protest Trump's policies that have impacted veterans.
The group organizer, Cindy McIntyre, told KSWO-TV that the parade's safety concerns may stem from social media posts identifying "No Kings" protesters as "troublemakers."
The mayor of Lawton, Stan Booker, called the city "one of the most patriotic communities in America," and the cancellation will not diminish the city’s spirit or its ability to celebrate the military and the nation’s freedoms. Booker said that Lawton residents can still look forward to the upcoming Juneteenth and Independence Day celebrations in the coming weeks.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ahead of No Kings protest, Stitt, Mayor Holt remember response to 2020 protests differently
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