Trump came to Tulsa.

He came amidst a pandemic looking to fill a stadium. He came during Juneteenth weekend to a city historically steeped in racial division and suffering. He came during the most widespread American protests in a generation. Despite all this, he came, but he did not conquer.

Although the rally itself was largely portrayed as an embarrassment due to an unexpectedly low turnout among his supporters - which it absolutely was - this did not define nor was it the prevailing sentiment of the weekend.

Despite nearly every establishment in the area closing, Orpha’s Lounge (pictured below), which locals claimed to be the oldest dive in the city, remained open right in the heart of the tension. Although mostly filled with Trump supporters, it became a green zone for BLM and journalists too, as Orpha’s strictly enforced a zero-tolerance policy concerning fighting.

In a place where the locals I spoke with (regardless of political persuasion) seemed largely frustrated about the burden of the event and the chaos it brought, by the end of the weekend, there was a sense of local victory.

For starters, conflicts between police, protestors, and counter-protestors were limited given the circumstances. There was a bit of tear gas, some fighting, and an incident with a truck, but considering the volatility of the setting, things could have fared far worse.

During perhaps the most perilous moment of the night, the man pictured below (with the megaphone) ran to the front of the conflict and delivered a pivotal speech. Just as some volleys of gas were fired and a bus full of troops brought in, his speech succeeded in redirecting the entire march to Greenwood (the site of the horrific Tulsa Race Massacre).

In an absolutely awe-inspiring display of perseverance and positivity in the face of hate, as the Trump supporters retreated to their hotels, the local residents of Greenwood received the incoming BLM march with a massive block party. On the very same land where 99 years ago Black Wall Street burned to the ground and hundreds were murdered, people now danced, hugged, ate, and rejoiced with their families - celebrating Juneteenth weekend seemingly unfazed by the events of the day. As the night went on into the morning, Trump and his rally were relegated to the status of mere distraction.

By Sunday, all that was left of Trump’s presence was some trash and an absurd amount of leftover fencing.