NM Civil Guard, speakers drop out of rally

CLOVIS — A rally asking New Mexico voters to unite for a “legal peaceful protest” has lost support from most of its key speakers and one of the groups it planned to honor.

The New Mexico Civil Guard announced on its Facebook page it would not attend Saturday's gathering because “it has been brought to our attention that key speakers have publicly made some remarks that came across as blatantly racist.”

Clovis' O'Rion Petty, a member of the NM Civil Guard, declined to elaborate on the statement or identify the speakers it referenced.

A promotional flyer stated the rally would pay special tribute to the Guard and New Mexico law enforcement.

Curry County Republican Party Chair Rube Render said Tuesday that most of the scheduled speakers have told him they won't be participating either.

Render said local Republicans provided the venue for the rally — the GOP's local headquarters at 2420 Ashland — but “there was a misunderstanding” between local leaders and those putting on the rally, whom he declined to name.

The county GOP published a full-page ad in today's Eastern New Mexico News.

“The Curry County Republican Party does not support any group that believes in racist ideologies or condones violence in any way,” it reads.

“This function is the product of a single individual and without any consultation or discussion with the Curry County Republican Party.”

Democrats have been critical of the rally because of its supposed involvement with Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin, who told Business Insider that he plans to attend the Clovis rally. The promotional flyer for the event claims special guests will include Griffin and representatives for Trump Victory NM, Latinos for Trump and Women for Trump.

Griffin, also an Otero County commissioner, came under fire in July for saying Black athletes critical of the country should “go back to Africa.” In May he said at a political rally that “I've come to the conclusion that the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.”

Griffin quickly walked back the comment about Democrats, saying it was meant only in a political sense, and not in a physical sense.

Render said the event is still scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, but the county Republican party will not participate and that keynote speaker Rick Lopez is among those who've decided not to attend. Render said local lawmakers Randal Crowder and Martin Zamora, listed on the promotional flyer as speakers, also will not participate. Render said state Sen. Pat Woods as of Tuesday had not decided whether he would speak.

Local conservatives last week said concerns over the rally are overblown, the state and county GOP do not support far-right organizations and that liberals seldom have to answer for far-left groups that regularly align with them.

Cowboys for Trump, which on Tuesday was still promoting the Clovis event on its website, says its mission is “To support our sitting President Donald J. Trump and his Make America Great Again policies.”

An email Tuesday asking if Griffin still plans to attend the Clovis rally was not immediately returned.