August 23, 2017

Congressman Ruben Gallego Statement on Protest and Police Actions

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), issued the following statement in response to the protests and police actions following President Trump's rally held in Phoenix:

"Thousands of peaceful demonstrators gathered on Tuesday afternoon for several hours to exercise their first amendment right to assemble and express their freedom of speech. Towards the end of the rally, however, the situation escalated quickly.

I immediately called Mayor Greg Stanton to request a full and transparent investigation and to provide the community a detailed account of the events that led to the actions from the Police Department. I also call on the Mayor and the City Council to hold a community meeting to seek input from the community to assist in the investigation.

The protest organizers worked extremely hard to maintain peace and order. We owe it to the community to understand what happened and ensure that we can continue to cultivate trust and accountability during these times of increased tensions."

####