Trump supporters plan 'election integrity' rally in Greensburg

Supporters of President Trump will rally Saturday outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg to protest the results of the election.

The 2 p.m. event could overlap with a Black Lives Matter rally scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Tony Naples, co-organizer of the 1776 Rally For Election Integrity, said there will be speakers, elected officials and patriotic songs in Courthouse Square.

“In one week’s notice, I’ve been able to get out probably 300 flyers,” the Mt. Pleasant Township resident said.

He went on a bus trip last weekend to Washington, D.C., for a large rally in the nation’s capital. This Saturday’s event will have a similar message, he said.

“I love my country so damn much that I’ll do anything for it,” he said. “This election, everybody knows it, it’s being stolen from us. President Trump should’ve won this state by a landslide.”

Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden leads Pennsylvania, where ballots are still being counted, by nearly 82,000 votes, according to the latest figures from the Associated Press. Biden leads 50% to Trump’s 48.8%.

Major media outlets called Pennsylvania, and its 20 Electoral College votes, for Biden on Nov. 7. That gave the presumptive winner enough projected Electoral College votes to take the White House.

Trump and his allies claim Biden won the election because of widespread, coordinated election fraud in Pennsylvania and other key swing states. No evidence has surfaced supporting claims of such widespread fraud, but the Trump campaign continues to pursue legal challenges in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Many such lawsuits have been thrown out of courtrooms nationwide.

The rally is a “patriotic celebration” meant to show support for Trump and his claims the election was fraudulent, Naples said.

“We’re behind our president 100% because he’s behind us 100%,” Naples said.

The event being led by head organizer Ed Kroupa is open to anyone, Naples said.

“We have a lot of patriots ready to show up,” he said.

Kroupa helped organize numerous pro-Trump events in the region during the campaign, including parades, rallies and a “flag relay” across Pennsylvania.

Black Lives Matter activists have been holding regular rallies in Courthouse Square for several months.

Capt. Shawn Denning said the Greensburg police department has been informed of the two planned rallies.

The overlap appears to be coincidental, Denning said. The department isn’t planning to have extra officers working, but those on duty will be aware of the events and step up patrols downtown, Denning said.

It’s a familiar routine at this point. The courthouse is a favorite spot for rallies, protests and demonstrations, and 2020 has been a big year for all three.

“There’s been a lot of them recently, and none of them have turned violent or gotten out of hand,” Denning said. “They have the right to protest, and, of course, we want to give them that right and make sure everybody’s safe.”

When there are such events, the city coordinates with the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office, Westmoreland County Park Police and Pennsylvania State Police in Greensburg, Denning said.