An organization called Citizens Observing Police Service will put on a pro-police rally Saturday outside the LaSalle police station. After the Back the Blue rally at noon, there’ll be a parade through Peru and Spring Valley. Jay DeBates is the president and founder of the organization.
He says it’s not a political rally and anyone of any political persuasion who also supports the police can show up with signs. However, there will be a “Trump trailer” there. DeBates says the trailer carries a lot of things that’ll be used in the rally. And the main speaker will be Republican Illinois House member Darrin Bailey, who sued Gov. Pritzker over the stay-at-home orders.
Black Lives Matter in Illinois Valley is planning what it calls a counter-protest at noon in the former Arby’s parking lot down the street from the LaSalle police station and a parade afterward too. BLM’s announcement says the police system needs major reform and Blue Lives Matter groups were formed to undermine Black Lives Matter. It also calls Pres. Trump a racist.
Jaye DeBates says more in this interview: