South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Slams ‘Troubling’ Movement to Erase Confederate History

President Donald Trump touched down at Mount Rushmore on Friday night to greet supporters and kick off a fireworks display in honor of Independence Day. More than 100 protesters, many Native American, lined the road leading from Keystone, South Dakota, to the monument, holding signs and playing Lakota music in 95-degree heat, according to the Associated Press. About 15 protesters were arrested for blocking the main road. The Native American activists said the stone monument of four past presidents was built on stolen sacred land and that the mask-optional gathering could spread Covid-19, which has hit Native Americans especially hard. They and local officials also cite the danger of wildfires from the planned fireworks display. “It’s like if he tried to go and have a fireworks display celebrating independence at the Vatican,” Julian Bear Runner, president of the Oglala Sioux tribe, was quoted as saying in the Washington Post. Other opponents note that two of the four presidents depicted in the mountainside sculpture — George Washington and Thomas Jefferson — were slaveholders. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL: Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ Email us at [email protected] QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.