By WHITNEY WOODWORTH/Salem Statesman-Journal
KEIZER — Thousands of people filled standing-room-only tents at the Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer Friday and Saturday to hear from election and COVID-19 conspiracy theorists, Christian leaders and prominent figures pardoned by former President Donald Trump.
The sold-out Reawaken America Tour rally drew about 4,000 attendees. Among the top-billed speakers were Trump’s son Eric Trump and former national security advisor Michael Flynn. Flynn pleaded guilty to a felony for making false statements to the FBI about an investigation into communications with Russia. Trump later pardoned him.
About 50 counterprotesters held a peaceful demonstration outside Friday and Saturday, many focused on support of Native American communities.
Saturday morning, cars lined the streets to get into the event. The rally will continue until 5 p.m. Saturday.
Flynn brought Shawna Fenison of Junction City onto the stage Saturday morning. Her son, Ryan Hill, of Keizer, was killed while serving for the U.S. Army in Iraq.
“Ryan is the only service member killed in action from Keizer in the history of the United States of America. That’s amazing,” Flynn said as Fenison stood holding Flynn’s hand with tears running down her face. “Shawna is a reminder for all of us. Ryan is a reminder for all of us what sacrifice means.”
Keizer Police warned of likely traffic congestion both days around Keizer Station, including Chemawa Road. Out of concern for employee safety and traffic, some stores in Keizer Station, including Target, were closed Friday and Saturday. Some bus routes in the area were also impacted.
Keizer police vehicles were parked near the event and circled the stadium Friday.
‘It feels like a family reunion’
The rally had the feel, on the surface, of a state fair.
Fried food trucks, along with Silverton’s Beloved Cheesecakes and Monmouth’s Dough on the Go, fed attendees. Vendors sold Trump bobbleheads, books about vaccines and MyPillow products.
People wore American flag apparel, MAGA hats and Let’s Go Brandon shirts. One man wore a shirt urging, “Arrest Fauci.” Some wore the yellow-and-black unofficial uniform of the Proud Boys. Several families were in attendance.
Many attendees said they drove hours to see speakers and attend the rally.
Standing next to a life-sized cardboard cutout of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, Katie Gamble said she drove from Spokane, Washington.
“It feels like a family reunion,” she said. “We’ve been following these people, listening to these people about what we believe to be true.”
Renae Worrell and her sister-in-law drove from Olympia, Washington, convinced God was going to save America from despair. Listening to the speakers in the past made her realize: “I need to get out and do something.”
The event featured several pastors and faith leaders.
Other clergy from Oregon and across the country have spoken out against the rally.
Faithful America sponsored a mobile billboard calling on speakers to “stop twisting our faith to attack democracy” and denounced promoters of the QAnon conspiracy.
“We reject General Flynn’s hijacking of the Gospel for political purposes,” Rev. Nathan Empsall, executive director of Faithful America, said. “This tour is a dangerous and immoral political event in Jesus’ name that promotes misinformation, lies, and even outright violence, and has no place in the church of God.”
Finding a home in Keizer
The rally was initially planned to be held in Redmond but was canceled after public scrutiny.
It drew controversy after the Bend Bulletin reported an event planner stated in an email that they had gotten personal assurance from Republican Deschutes County commissioners that the state’s mask mandate, which was still in effect at the time, wouldn’t be enforced.
County officials deny that occurred, according to the Bulletin, and the county later asked event organizers to sign a contract addendum agreeing to follow the mandate.
The event in Redmond was scrapped.
Leaders with The River Church in Salem then reached out to the organizer of the event, podcaster Clay Clark, and offered to host the rally in Salem, according to reporting from the Bend Bulletin.
Volcanoes Stadium was built in 1997 on land owned by the City of Keizer. Keizer Volcanoes owner Jerry Walker paid for the stadium construction and entered into a contract with the city to lease the site.
The city leases the stadium to Salem-Keizer Sports Enterprises, LLC. Keizer interim city manager Wes Hare said the city has no role in deciding what events are held at the stadium.
‘Danger for people like me’
Those protesting the rally said city leaders should have done more to denounce the event and discourage Volcanoes Stadium from hosting.
Community activist Hannah ShootingBear said the event is being held on native land. Much of the Willamette Valley originally belonged to the Kalapuya tribe. The inaction of Keizer City Council was disheartening, she said.
“This opens up a big can of worms,” she said. “City council … they’re going to support profit over people. They are not thinking about the safety of their people. Now that tells me something. Election time is coming in pretty soon.”
Julianne Jackson, founder of Black Joy Oregon, said the rally made her feel unsafe in her own community.
She appreciated nearby businesses like Target and Lowe’s listening to her concerns about employee safety but said she felt largely ignored by city officials.
After the event, she said, the attendees of the rally, many of whom are from out-of-state, would be in the community. Social media postings for a post-rally celebration of “Anglo American identity” circulated online.
“It’s very important to read between the lines and know that means whiteness,” Jackson said. “And that means danger for people like me and people that look like me.”
Speakers focus on Trump, COVID-19, election
Walker, the Volcanoes owner, was among the speakers at the rally Friday.
He said a Christian revival held at the stadium in November spurred him to take action and embrace what he believed was the truth. He said he believes the COVID-19 vaccine caused his mother’s cancer and his brother’s medical emergency, despite her not believing this.
Many of the speakers’ claims of widespread election fraud and COVID-19 misinformation have been largely disproven by election experts and the medical community.
Walker said people have been angry over him agreeing to host the rally at the stadium.
“There’s a lot of haters,” he said, to a chorus of boos. “They have not hesitated to share their hate with us in a variety of ways, like canceling season tickets and like canceling sponsorships.”
