QUEMADO, Texas — Some twenty miles north of the Texas-seized border park in Eagle Pass, Texas, hundreds of rallygoers congregated on a private ranch in the small border community of Quemado. A crowd of what appeared to be more than 500 people gathered and listened to inspirational speeches and Christian music on a warm Saturday afternoon. One of the event organizers told Breitbart Texas the group intends to carry out a peaceful demonstration with a message of prayer for the security of the United States.
At the ranch’s gate, volunteers with the “Take Our Border Back Rally” identified those seeking to enter and allowed media from across the country to cover the rally. Inside the small ranch, food trucks and vendors selling patriotic t-shirts, caps, and other items were posted near a stage where a band played Christian music.
Convoy attendees listen to inspirational music and speeches. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
The rallygoers walked around the area, conversing and listening to the messages from the stage. Many sat on lawn chairs, simply enjoying the music. More than a few attendees sported red, white, and blue clothing items — many wore shirts or caps showing support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Flags with messages in support of the former president were flown from vehicles in and outside the event.
SEE: The trucker convoy arrives just north of Eagle Pass.
They have come from across Texas, Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, and New York, just to name a few, to call for a secure border. pic.twitter.com/GWVQkPsggT
— Virginia Allen (@Virginia_Allen5) February 3, 2024
One of the organizers, Treniss Evans, told Breitbart Texas the rally was being held in support of all law enforcement officers along the border — federal and state. Evans says the rally will remain in Quemado and will not enter the city of Eagle Pass, where the seizure of a city border park has captured significant media attention in recent weeks. Evans says the Take Back Our Border group does not wish to disrupt law enforcement operations underway in Eagle Pass or affect local commuters’ ability to move about the city.
#NOW “Take Back Our Border” #borderconvoy continues driving through San Antonio towards the direction of Eagle Pass Texas for rally at a ranch. pic.twitter.com/XnG5YPCctv
— Oliya Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) February 2, 2024
Part of the convoy that arrived in Quemado on Friday evening originated in Virginia and grew along the journey to several cities along the southwest border. In addition to the rally being held in Quemado, Texas, other participants in the convoy will visit Tucson, Arizona, and San Diego, California.
Groups outside border convoy rally display hate messages. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
The peaceful rally on the inside of the ranch was disrupted by other groups stationed on a roadway outside the ranch that was not part of the convoy. Evans stood at the entrance gate of the private ranch using a bull horn to denounce the presence of a group of demonstrators from a group identifying themselves as Official Street Preachers who displayed banners denouncing homosexuality and the BLM organization. Evans asked participants to avoid interacting with those advocating those positions and remain inside the ranch.
On the stage, the same message was broadcast to the participants, asking them to avoid interaction with the group displaying the hateful messages and to pray for them instead. Evans told Breitbart Texas those groups were not invited. He said he was disappointed that they had prominently placed themselves on the roadway outside the peaceful rally the convoy was participating in.
Man in Batman Costume markets a product outside rally. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
One man posted outside the event in a Batman costume appeared to be taking advantage of the assembled crowd to market a product unrelated to the cause of border security.
In addition to the hundreds of peaceful rallygoers inside the ranch, several law enforcement officers from the state of Texas and the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department patrolled outside the ranch to keep traffic flowing on the small farm-to-market road in Quemado.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
