With the 2020 presidential election in less than one month, Cedar City residents showed up in force on Saturday to display their support for President Donald Trump and his re-election.
After seeing news of various parades and convoys supporting Trump around the nation, residents of Cedar City decided to host their own. The event was organized by Mary Ellen Billings who drew inspiration from other nationwide parades.
Billings attended a parade for Trump on Oct. 10 in St. George, Utah and described it as “amazing and electric.”
“No one stood up to man Cedar, so I did. The purpose is to show the love and support of our president and our country,” Billings said.
Dubbing it a “Trump Train,” hundreds of participants came out and conquered Main Street, driving from Costa Vida over to Canyon View High School. The parade started around 4 p.m. and lasted about 45 minutes, though there were some stragglers as late as 8 p.m.
Participants engaged themselves in various ways — hanging out of car windows, standing in truck beds, or cheering from the sidewalks and parked cars.
The parade attempted to not block traffic or endanger pedestrians, but participants continuously honked, waved flags and cheered loudly. Cars sported flags such as the true American flag, the thin blue line on the American flag in support of cops, and the “Make America Great Again” flag.
These were attached to poles, cabs, windows and antennas and were even worn as capes by those on all-terrain vehicles.
Some community members disagreed with the “Trump Train.” A small group of people, including some Southern Utah University students, staged a counter protest, driving their cars along a similar route. They were flying LGBTQ pride flags and had painted windows with messages such as “BLM” and “LGBTQ+ pride.”
Members of the SUU and Cedar City community who did not participate in the parades also expressed strong opinions regarding Saturday’s events.
“Truth — I’ve never seen a president be worshipped as an idol like Trump is,” commented Dakota Colby, vice president of clubs and organizations at Southern Utah University. “Also if all the ‘good Mormons’ here were to listen to their teachings, they would advise Trump to not say half the things he does, let alone condone his actions.”
The 2020 presidential election is on Nov. 3, with many voters opting to vote early. Registered voters in Utah will receive a ballot by mail that they can return by mail or drop off at local polling locations. For more information about voting in the election visit Utah’s official voting website.
Article and Photos by: Ryan Sunderman
ryansunderman@suumail.net
