PHILADELPHIA — Black attendees waiting to get into former President Donald Trump’s packed weekend rally at Temple University were confronted by a man bearing a threatening message.
“Take off your MAGA hat, visit Northern Pennsylvania and see how welcome you’ll be,” a protester wearing a Jerry Rice San Francisco 49ers jersey told a Black man in the audience. “Go to Northern Pennsylvania after dark and see how welcome you’ll be!”
As football fans know, the 49ers and local Philadelphia Eagles have been two of the league’s best teams recently and have been locked in some intense matches.
Protesters gave speeches to several rally attendees, calling the white rural town “Sundown Town” and implying serious danger to black residents and visitors.
“This place is called ‘Sundowntown,’ which means get your black ass out of town before the sun goes down,” the man said sarcastically.
Most of the people he addressed quietly laughed as the man continued to heckle. Security barricades were set up outside the Liacoras Center, separating him from attendees waiting to enter.
Across the street, in front of Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, a small but energetic group of opponents was rallying for President Biden’s reelection. Several protesters wore masks and carried signs calling Trump a “fascist” or simply “smelly.”
