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Prescott, Arizona, is a small town in Yavapai County. It is rich with the heritage of our Western ancestors and is known as “Everyone’s Hometown USA.”

On this particular morning, of April 5, 2025, many Prescott residents were gathering around the courthouse, as is common during our enjoyable spring weather. The air was cool, and the skies were clear. It was very peaceful.

But wait, what do we see coming from around the corners and blocks away? Like tiny marching ants, a throng of people suddenly appeared and started to invade the courthouse square. They occupied not only the courtyard but also the steps to the courthouse.

Surely, they cannot all be Prescott residents. You see, here in Prescott, we are respectful and cordial to our neighbors and friends. This mutual respect and the beauty of our area help create the desire we share as just a couple of reasons to choose to live here. In Prescott, we are proud to practice our conservative values and G-d-given rights.

Still, where are all these people suddenly coming from? Why are they here? What are those pitchforks, (I mean signs) they are carrying?

Suddenly, on this quiet and serene day in our peaceful town, as the courthouse clock struck high noon, you could hear the mournful cries coming from this gathering of individuals. This gathering has now turned angry and mob-like. You can hear the screeching chants of “Hands Off” “Hands Off”. Then, miraculously, just as quickly as they had appeared earlier, by the stroke of 1:00 pm, just an hour later, almost every person who gathered for this “Hands Off” rally had all but disappeared. The courthouse square was once again quiet. The steps of the courthouse were empty. Our beloved Prescott was once again peaceful. Was I dreaming this? This can’t be happening here in Prescott. Sadly, it did!

But wait, there’s more!

This past Saturday, April 5, 2025, was the nationally organized protest day from the left against President Trump and Elon Musk. According to some leftist social media and the local news here in Prescott, “The Daily Courier”, they would have you believe that there were anywhere from 1000 to upwards of 1600 residents participating in this rally. They gathered to protest our duly elected President and the great work his administration is doing to discover the fraud, abuse, and waste throughout our government. Why they are protesting is beyond logical comprehension.

Some of the reporting from the left would have us believe that they were being threatened or, at the very least, concerned for their lives and needed protection from local conservatives who were here to show strength and support in favor of our 47th President and Elon Musk.

The left claims they hired the Arizona Rangers: protection and security for themselves. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, we are an open-carry city here in the great state of Arizona. We are also law-abiding citizens and residents. We respect one another and know we are safe with one another. So much for what the leftists want everyone to believe, at least those who are willing to listen to them.

Let’s take a much deeper dive into the factual issues of the day and this “Hands Off” event. Let’s start with the fact that the organizations, Prescott Indivisibles and Yavapai County Democrats, the two primary organizations that coordinated this event, apparently did so illegally. According to the website for Yavapai County, which issues special event permits, no permit was ever issued for this event on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

Since they never had a properly approved permit to hold a rally and occupy the courthouse square and steps, one can only conclude that this rally was illegal. I spoke with Mary Mallory and Kris Kuknyo, Yavapai County supervisors, on this permit matter, and they both confirmed that a permit was required.

On Monday, April 7, 2025. I reached out to both the Indivisibles of Prescott and the Democrat Party of Yavapai County for their response on Not having an approved permit for this event. I have not heard from either organization at the time of my submittal to The Prickly Pear. 

Holding a rally without a properly issued permit is terrible enough. However, this leads to another significant question: As you can clearly see from this attached media release, the Arizona Rangers in attendance were under the impression that an approved permit existed for this event. It is disgusting for anyone or any organization to be so low and mislead our Arizona Rangers.

Who secured the agreement with our beloved Arizona Rangers and caused them to believe an adequately issued permit had been secured for this event? At this point, someone apparently went out of their way to dupe the Arizona Rangers. I spoke with the Arizona Rangers on Monday, April 7, 2025, and I was informed that they are seriously considering their involvement and participation in this event.

I was informed by Mary Mallory that Mr. Jay Ruby, a former Democrat candidate for Yavapai County and now City Council candidate for the City of Prescott, had attempted to secure a permit for this date, Saturday, April 5, 2025, for this “Hands Off” rally. I spoke with Mr. Ruby, who confirmed he attempted to secure a permit for this event but was unsuccessful. My follow-up questions to him were: Knowing there was no permit secured, for this event, the Prescott Indivisibles and Yavapai County Democratic party also knew there was no permit.

1. Mr. Ruby – who decided to hold that event anyway? He referred me back to the Prescott Indivisibles and the Yavapai County Democratic Party.
2. Also, do you, (Mr. Ruby), know who arranged to secure the agreement with the Arizona Rangers? At that point, he would not provide any more information and referred me back to the Prescott Indivisibles and the Yavapai County Democrat party yet again.

Having personally spoken with Mr. Ruby, there is no doubt that the Prescott Indivisibles and the Yavapai County Democrat party knew there was no permit for this rally, and they didn’t care. They went forward with this rally knowing they didn’t have the right to do so. Perhaps they need a reminder: No one is above the law!

Now let’s turn our attention to the left’s claim that they were marching, or lapping, on the public sidewalks. Obviously, they are attempting to give the impression that they did not occupy the square. From this attached photo, the truth is self-evident. Not only did they not confine themselves to the public sidewalks, but if you were present at this event, you could clearly hear the abusive language, the hateful rhetoric, all directed at those in support of President Trump. Some Trump supporters, I was told, were spat upon and pushed out of the way by this less-than-so-called peaceful group of rallygoers.

Personally, I question the claim by Chris Ortiz, writing for the Daily Courier, that those in attendance for this “Hands Off” rally were from the Quad City area. Many of those supporting President Trump and Elon Musk said they witnessed buses bringing people in for the rally. If one is from the Quad-City area, one doesn’t need a bus for a fifteen- or twenty-minute drive. However, being bused in from a much more significant distance might explain why so many people immediately disappeared upon the stroke of 1:00 pm when the rally was officially over. Was it that they had a bus to catch?

According to the left, as we keep hearing them say “No One is Above the Law,” yet as we continue to see, it does not apply to them. This rally, for all indications, was an illegal gathering. “But no one is above the law”. Someone associated with this rally lied to the Arizona Rangers, and apparently didn’t care. The anger and vitriol of the left were abundantly apparent and on full display.

In my opinion, those on the left are the fascists, not all, just those in the hierarchy. The rest are simply unwitting pawns. The elites on the left will continue to lie, misrepresent, and give the middle finger to anyone who will not take a knee to them and the left’s woke ideology and demands. Unfortunately, this applies to their own rank and file followers as well.

It is sad to see so many people no longer willing to think for themselves and simply fall prey to the victim’s mentality and only parrot the talking points of the left. When I asked three of them to provide me with one, just one law President Trump had violated or is violating, sadly, their only response was to turn and walk away.

Conservatives have always believed in living and letting live. We have not always been the most vocal group. This is why we are referred to as the silent majority, as again evidenced by this last election.

Yet make no mistake: When the chips are down and the threat is at its greatest, at the end of the day, Yavapai County and the City of Prescott are still RED!

That’s the other side of the story!