Indigenous protesters block road to Mount Rushmore ahead of Trump's Fourth of July speech and fireworks event
President Donald Trump arrived in South Dakota on July 3, in time for his speech at Mount Rushmore and the Fourth of July fireworks show. According to AP, a person familiar with its content, described the speech as "fiery", comprising denunciations of people that the president deemed are trying to "tear down" the nation's history. Indigenous protesters, meanwhile, gathered around the national monument to protest Trump's presence on the land that was "stolen" from them.
South Dakota officials expressed concern over the lack of social distancing and wearing face masks, as thousands of people are expected to attend the event. Many were worried that the first Fourth of July fireworks show since 2009, could yet again result in wildfires.
More than 100 protesters, mostly made up of Native Americans, blocked the main road leading to the national monument, ahead of Trump's arrival holding signs and playing Lakota music. Many held their fists in the air, as a show of defiance, when cars loaded with the event's attendees drove past, while other sported signs and placards that read "Protect SoDak’s First People", "You Are On Stolen Land" and "Dismantle White Supremacy". The National Guard was deployed at the scene to subdue protestors and two trucks began removing vans that protestors had parked on the main road to block the entrance to Mount Rushmore.
The National Guard and protesters had a stand-off, with the police resorting to using pepper-spray on several protesters. The crowd began to disperse some two hours later. Police adorned in protective gear and shields moved in to fend off protesters from both sides and warned them to retreat. They did not take any further action. Trump is scheduled to arrive at the monument by helicopter. The news about protesters barricading the event spread throughout the Internet and the Twitterverse had a lot to say about it. CNN added fuel to the fodder after a reporter said "President Trump will be at Mount Rushmore, where he’ll be standing in front of a monument of two slave owners and on land wrestled away from Native Americans."
Twitter users took to the platform to address the protests."Instead of saying @realDonaldTrump will be giving a speech in front of former Presidents, @CNN says he will speak in front of 2 former slave owners at Mount Rushmore. I told you all they’d come for Mount Rushmore weeks ago. These people are completely nuts," a user tweeted. "BREAKING: Protesters are blocking the entrance to Trump’s Mount Rushmore protest in South Dakota, and the police are once again about to teargas peaceful protesters because that’s what America has become," added another. A third said "NPR just said Natives protesting at Mount Rushmore for the 4th of July are protesting 'the Trump administration'. As if Natives' grievance with the US begins and ends with Trump. What a joke."
"Mount Rushmore was built as a tourist attraction and was originally going to depict a nearby rock formation instead of some presidents. There's no 'patriotic' reason to defend it and literally nobody should care about something happening to it," a user said in a tweet. "Fascinating how CNN called Mount Rushmore 'majestic' and 'quite a sight' in 2008 when Obama visited, but now its a symbol of slavery and stolen land," another concurred. "Early reports are that Trump plans to make tonight's Mount Rushmore address every bit as despicably divisive and thoroughly unpresidential as all America anticipated," a user commented while another tweeted, "Immediately after Trump's Mount Rushmore speech someone needs to ask him who is on Mount Rushmore."