Sheriff Clarke Leads MAGA Rally With Proud Boys Outside Mayfair Mall

A crowd of 500-600 people gathered at the intersection of N. Mayfair Rd and W. North Ave., near the entrance of Mayfair Mall, to rally against the outcome of the U.S. 2020 election and support President Donald Trump.

The event featured former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke and the Proud Boys, an all-male, far-right organization, whose members patrolled nearby parking lots with rifles and chanted along with the sea of supporters. The rally took place just a day after someone with a gun opened fire on shoppers inside of Mayfair Mall, injuring eight people.

According to police, one person was arrested for disorderly conduct.

There were no reports of any violence among MAGA protesters at Saturday’s rally. Wauwatosa police reports that a protester was struck by a car. According to the Wauwatosa police spokeswoman : “There was an injury crash at Mayfair/North around 10:57 a.m. Two pedestrians sustained minor injuries and the vehicle involved fled the scene. Our Crash Unit is investigating the incident.”

Rally goers carried Trump flags and signs about voter fraud. Attendees chanted, “Stop the steal,” “four more years,” and “USA.” Cars loaded with Trump paraphernalia paraded up and down Mayfair Rd. and North Ave., honking their horns and circling the median.

Also on hand were oppositional protesters, who got into heated debate with Trump supporters. A few vehicles from the Wauwatosa Police Department idled and watched the rally from afar.

Michelle Clark, 39, was with people debating with others at the rally. She said it was the first time she had seen groups openly armed in Wauwatosa. Clark said she believed there was a double standard between the police’s treatment of protesters in marches against Wauwatosa police officer Joseph Mensah earlier in the fall and the mass of armed rally goers Saturday.

“If that was us, Black people, protesting like that on the corners in Wauwatosa, we would have been arrested. Or we would have been met with riot gear,” she said. “There was a mass shooting at the mall and Trump supporters were still able to have their rally here today. For the police department to even allow this to happen, it’s just insensitive.”

Sheriff Clarke, known for his controversial public speeches and social media comments, stood with a bullhorn while surrounded by Trump supporters on the sidewalk in front of Walgreens. “We’re going to do some serious pushback,” he said in front of a news camera. “We organize enough people, ‘cause that’s the only thing these elected officials understand.” According to the event flyer, the rally is meant to “build critical mass” for a future march at the Wisconsin Supreme Court in Madison.Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride spoke about the MAGA rally at a press conference the following day, when the Wauwatosa Police Department announced it had arrested a suspect involved in Friday’s shooting at Mayfair Mall. “That rally, as I understand, was planned at least a week prior to the shooting,” McBride said. “I think it was unfortunate that they chose to come despite what happened the day before. I don’t think people should come to political rallies with guns.”

“We need to respect the first amendment rights of everybody to stage a political rally or a protest, but if it had been up to me, I would have said please, do not come, do not bring guns,” McBride said. “Honor the fact that our community is suffering right now and needs to heal.”