Trump supporters parade down State Street in decorated cars
In light of the polling places officially opening for in-person voting, the Santa Barbara County Republican Party aimed to rally Republican voters and show their support for President Trump
Dozens of cars and trucks full of Trump supporters gathered in the parking lot behind 3820 State St. in Santa Barbara on Saturday afternoon and paraded down State Street.
In light of the polling places officially opening for in-person voting, the Santa Barbara County Republican Party aimed to rally Republican voters and show their support for President Trump.
Before they took off on their route to the Channel & Cemetery bus stop and back, the supporters gathered in the parking lot, without masks, played patriotic music and chatted amongst each other.
Pro-Trump signs and flags were being handed out as well.
Raymond Arias was one of the Trump supporters in attendance of the rally. He also owns Raymond Arias Construction on Calle Cesar Chavez.
“I support Trump. That’s my main thing. I just can’t see the country going into the (problems) it’s going into if Biden gets elected,” he told the News-Press.
When asked about his thoughts on the 2020 Election in a couple days, he said, “I think it’s gonna be tainted to a certain degree.”
“I’m a business owner in town and when Trump’s running it … the economy is crazy,” he continued. “There’s so much work going on. … Everybody’s making so much money, and now it’s hard to see that go. It’s all about the economy.”
Mr. Arias said he voted in-person that morning, and his 86-year-old mother was determined to vote in person, too.
Many of the rally attendees refused to comment or provide their full name due to what they referred to as “the contentious situation of politics these days,” and were concerned about their employers.
However, “Red Wave” and “Vote Trump” chants floated throughout the crowd, horns honking and flags waving.
Mitch Cokeley is a truck driver, and also attended the pro-Trump rally. When asked why he was in attendance, he said he was “basically here for freedom.”
“Everything that Trump has done for everybody is give you your freedom. … ’Do this, do that,’” he told the News-Press. “Biden has turned it into, ‘You can’t do this, you can’t do that.’ Bull.”
He said he also voted already via absentee ballot.
“That’s what America’s about. Freedom of choice,” Mr. Cokeley continued. “I don’t see anything that Biden or the Dems are telling me that I have a choice. They keep telling me, ‘You have to do this, you have to do that, there’s going to be a lockdown.’
“That’s really what it’s about. I’ve killed for this country so I have a right to do what I want,” he concluded.
Protestors countering the Trump supporters were also in attendance, but declined to comment on why.
One counter protestor was wearing a doctor mask and carrying around a sign glued to a baseball bat. Other counter protestors were playing anti-Trump music in opposition.
The parade caused traffic to back up for several miles toward the end, causing the Santa Barbara Police Department to intervene and free up the road.
email: gmccormick@newspress.com
