We Are Norman holds rally in support of Mayor, City Council

NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) – The group “We Are Norman” held a drive through rally Sunday afternoon to show their support for Mayor Breea Clark and City Council.

About 50 decked out cars drove through every ward in the city.

The group protested against “Unite Norman,” a group that started a recall petition to remove Mayor Breea Clark and several members of City Council after the police department’s budget was cut by $865,000.  

“I’ve been voicing my opinion pretty heavily online, but I wanted to get out in the public and do something a little more impactful than just sitting behind my keyboard,” Christen Thomas, a volunteer with We Are Norman, said.

“The other organization that is out and about in Norman is really causing that fracture to get wider, instead of bringing people together,” Marcie King, organizer of the We Are Norman rally, said.

“I really thought that it was important to show opposite dialogue, that we do support the mayor, and we do support what they’re doing,” Thomas said.

Russell Smith, spokesperson for Unite Norman, says he has no problem with the protest.

“I respect everybody’s right to protest peacefully,” he said.

Smith highlighted his group’s goal to bring Norman to the center politically.

“We think divisive radical figures, whether that be to the left or to the right, we think that divides people. We don’t want right wing radicals, we do not want left wing radicals,” he said. “We think the further right, the further left, the more division you have, so we want to unite Norman.”

We Are Norman also collected legos at their rally to make peace signs. The legos will be donated to the Mary Abbott Children’s House.