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US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump and hometown Democrat Beto O’Rourke held competing rallies in El Paso, Texas last night.
In the first dueling rallies of the 2020 campaign season, Trump’s “Finish the Wall” rally in El Paso went head-to-head night against counterprogramming by O’Rourke, a former Democratic congressman and potential Trump rival in 2020, who argued that walls cause more problems than they solve.
At Trump’s event, a BBC cameraman was attacked by by a man shouting “fuck the media”, in an incident that has been condemned by other journalists.
The rallies across the street from each other served as a preview of the heated yearslong fight over the direction of the country.
And they made clear that Trump’s long-promised border wall is sure to play an outsized role in the presidential race, as both sides use it to try to rally their supporters and highlight their contrasting approaches.
Standing in a packed stadium under a giant American flag and banners saying “FINISH THE WALL,” Trump insisted that large portions of the project are already under construction and vowed to fulfill his 2016 campaign promise regardless of what happens in Congress.
“Walls work,” said Trump, whose rally was repeatedly interrupted by protesters. “Walls save lives.”
O’Rourke, meanwhile, held a countermarch with dozens of local civic, human rights and Hispanic groups in his hometown, followed by a protest rally attended by thousands on a baseball field within shouting distance from the arena where Trump spoke.
“With the eyes of the country upon us, all of us together are going to make our stand here in one of the safest cities in America,” O’Rourke said. “Safe not because of walls but in spite of walls.”
More than a half-hour in his rally, Trump had scarcely mentioned immigration, offering just a passing suggestion that those chanting “Build the Wall” switch to “Finish the Wall.”
Instead, he mocked O’Rourke, insisting the Texan has “very little going for himself except he’s got a great first name” and deriding his crowd size, even though both men drew thousands.
“That may be the end of his presidential bid,” Trump quipped, adding: “You’re supposed to win in order to run.”
Trump placed O’Rourke the among the other Democrats who have announced their candidacy, deriding them as “people you have never heard of”.
During his event, Trump repeatedly criticised the media and BBC cameraman Rob Skeans was attacked by a Trump supporter during his speech.
BBC Washington News Editor Eleanor Montague tweeted footage of the attack, saying that the crowd had been “whipped up into a frenzy” by Trump.
The cameraman was not seriously injured.
(Click here if video doesn’t play)
The rallies began moments after negotiators on Capitol Hill announced that lawmakers had reached an agreement in principle to fund the government ahead of a midnight Friday deadline to avoid another shutdown.
Trump appeared oblivious to the deal, saying that he’d been informed by aides that negotiators had made some progress but that he had declined to be fully briefed because he wanted to go on stage.
“I had a choice. I could’ve stayed out there and listened, or I could have come out to the people of El Paso, and Texas, I chose you,” Trump said. “So we probably have some good news. But who knows?”
Trump, who has been threatening to declare a national emergency to bypass Congress, added, “Just so you know, we’re building the wall anyway.”
‘Beto for President 2020′
The countermarch began at a high school about a mile from the baseball field in the shadow of Trump’s rally, its participants streaming past part of the border and the towering metal slats lining it.
Marchers waved handmade signs reading “Fire the Liar,” ”Hate Is Not What Makes America Great” and “Make Tacos, Not Walls.”
Many marchers, and those in the crowd at the ballpark, carried flags reading “Beto for President 2020″.
The Democrat said the event wasn’t only about him — or Trump — but meant to tell the true story of life in El Paso.
“It is going to be the people of the border,” O’Rourke told the crowd before beginning the march, “who will write the next chapter in the history of this great country. Ensuring that our laws and our language and our leaders match our values.”
Trump has repeatedly pointed to El Paso to make his case that a border wall is necessary and has falsely claimed that barriers have turned from one of the nation’s most dangerous to one of its safest.
O’Rourke challenged Trump’s falsehoods during his speech, saying the city is in fact safer because of its immigrant population.
“El Paso has been the safest city in the United States of America not in spite of the fact that we are a city of immigrants, but because we are a city of immigrants,” he said.
- With reporting by Associated Press
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I’d take this seriously if approx 48 councils weren’t pumping raw sewerage into water courses that supplies thousands of families. Two wrongs don’t make a right but start with those and lead by example.
Our local Sinn Fein Councillor was photographed at the outlet of the local town’s sewerage plant with raw sewage running into the river ..
Wasn’t it mighty when councillors had farmers to blame for fish kills ..
Fine Gael and Fianna fail Councillors were nowhere to be seen in the photo – must be no money in it or they’d have been there holding a spade for some latchico Minister or other !
Would the Sinn Fein Councillors and TDs stand near the polluting of rivers in the border area where effluent from diesel laundering occurs????
Or, over half of septic tanks passed inspections…
It’s o.k – Homebond will pay for any deficiencies …
SEPTIC TANKS WORK ONCE YOU ALLOW THE BACTERIA TO DO THEIR JOB, what makes all the trouble is bleach and antibacterial smellies being poured down the U bend.
That man Phil Hogan left some stink behind him
This is why #irishwater want your details. People duped into thinking that because they have a well and a septic tank that they wont be charged from #irishwater! Think again people …….. #irishwater are coming for you ….
Yep your right.
Everything is about IW.
People should be allowed to leak faecal matter into theirs & others water supply with impunity & anonymity.
We got charged €50 for registering our septic tank two years ago and never a call, a receipt, nothing. Now told to register with Irish Water even though we don’t use the service (Ye right I will, I swear). Don’t tell me they lost the database of septic tanks in Ireland!! Of course we maintain the tank, our drinking water comes from the land around us, we are hardly going to pollute.
Go downstream to many towns in the area and look at the quality of water. CoCo’s have to clean up the waste, start at the top.
Paul, if you had registered your septic tank before the date deadline it would have only cost you five euro. So it is your own fault if you ended up paying fifty euro. Likewise the Irish Water registration, if you tell them you have your own supply then they will not bill you.
Sorry Chris, they can bill away, all day every day. I will not register even for €100 until justification for payment is made, with a logical plan of action for all.
Paul you seem to be on a mission to confrontation….why bother when it doesn’t concern you.
Sorry Paul, just so I have it straight. You refused to take the opportunity to pay €5, and so ended €45 worse off and now you have the chance to finish €50 up*, you are going to be stubborn again and refuse the free money?
* Assuming from your comment that you also have your own water source.
Ah, 2017 – the magic year. That was the year that, if all had gone well, local authorities would “compete” with private operators for the provision of water and sewage services according to the Government memo leaked by RTE of all sources – credit where credit is due. It seems immensely convenient that all the inspections and certifications for septic tank and, presumably, well owners are due to conclude in 2017.
CORK – AGAIN…….
That’s a load of sh!te
Basic common sense to get septic tanks/biocycles de-sludged and checked working properly every year or two, cost around 200 euro
I have been contacting my Waste Management service for over six months now for simply a price , and nobody has got back to me.
The last company who did it for me went out of business.
Unlikely that a county council will do it for you, check your phone directory for certified companies.
Anyone else remember the public being told by the Government when this was being introduced that most peoples septic tanks would easily pass inspections……..more lies again
So Charles do you expect the government to wipe your arse too……
Hopefully they will be getting more than their arses wiped after the election Chris :-)
That’s must be the worst job in the world though
Yes Helen your biocycle will also need de-sludging….you can oil the chain on your bicycle.
Looks like we should have been inspecting our septic tanks since the 1970s.
Seems that there are a lot of selfish people who don’t care if their septic tank pollutes our rivers and lakes.
It’s the same company that ‘fails’ the septic tank… and the it’s the same company that charges thousands to put it ‘right’. I don’t see how they can go out of business…
Is it just septic tanks or bicycles too??
Well of course they did
that’s a shitty situation
have your say