Controversial U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel are among the confirmed speakers for an event at the Ohio Statehouse Saturday to honor the law enforcement community.
The “Back the Blue Freedom Rally!” is scheduled for the West Lawn from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., according to promotional information posted by Ohio Gun Owners, which is organizing the event.
“I think it’s high time (that we let) the law enforcement community know that the regular, law-abiding community has their backs, we definitely support them,” said Chris Dorr, executive director of the group. “We didn’t want them to be forgotten, so it’s a good time to throw a rally in support of them.”
He added: “We want people most of all to come away with hope. So many people are prone to try to make law-abiding, peaceful, normal citizens feel guilty in some way. We want them to know that they’re not forgotten, that law enforcement officers are not forgotten, that there’s nothing to be ashamed of, that there’s nothing to back down from or apologize for, that we’re free Americans and we still live in the greatest country on earth.”
Greene confirmed her invitation to speak on Twitter Monday night, referencing the death of Ma’Khia Bryant last week. The teenager was shot and killed by a Columbus police officer responding to 911 call about an attempted stabbing. Body camera footage showed Bryant holding a knife and apparently swinging it at another woman when the officer fired.
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“As we all saw on the video, Officer (Nicholas) Reardon saved the young woman’s life and should be treated you like a hero,” Greene Tweeted, adding about Saturday’s event, “See y’all there!”
In addition to Mandel, an array of former and current lawmakers have been invited to speak. Ohio Gun Owners noted in its announcement that tickets to the event are free but registration is required.
The West Lawn area will be fenced. “We want it to be a safe and family friendly environment,” Dorr said. “Some people are more than happy to get violent today if they have a disagreement with a certain world view or political ideology, so we’re going to have it fenced off and make sure it’s a good, safe, friendly event for everybody.”
@OhioCapitalBlog
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