Haverford Rally For Police Draws 100s Of Supporters, Criticisms

HAVERFORD TOWNSHIP, PA — A few hundreds citizens came out to a pro police rally in Haverford over the weekend to support the men and women of the Haverford Township Police Department and other first responders. However, some community member said the pro-police rally turned into a political event without masks and social distancing.

The rally was held Saturday morning outside the Haverford Township Police Department and about 400 people from Haverford and surrounding communities, as well as Bucks County and New Jersey, show up to the event.

Attendees donned shirts in support of police and waved signs showing their appreciation for their local law enforcement agency.

Police said on Facebook that the event was successful and peaceful, which event organizer Nick Finelli echoed.

Following the event, attendees gathered at Tip O'Leary's for a patriot rally where a portion of hot dog and raffle ticket sales were donated to Haverford Police.

Finelli said organizers are still tallying up how much money the event raised for police, but said the figure is between $500 and $600. Funds were also raised for the Upper Darby Police Department and a bike event that supports the families of fallen police officers.

While Saturday's event went off without any incidents, counterprotests, and was met with widespread community support, some community members on Facebook said it turned into a political rally for President Donald Trump and Dasha Pruett, who is running to unseat Democratic Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon in Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District. Pruett was listed as one of the event organizers.

Among the American flags and thin blue line flags flown at the event were Trump 2020 flags, and in addition to pro police signs some attendees held signs supporting the president and Pruett.

Finelli said there was no intention of the event being political.

"We went out of our way to discourage politics," he said. "I asked people to be respectful."

He said he did not want the event to become an "us-versus-them"

"Whether you want to defund [police] or not, they are still going to be there," he said. "If something happens to my home, I want someone who knows what they're doing to help."

Finelli said even the police department was staunch in taking a stance on the event, other than showing appreciation for the support.

Organizers made a plaque to be presented to police thanking them for their service, but Finelli said police would not accept it. Finelli himself went into the police department and left the plaque on the department's front desk.

Critics also said attendees were not practicing social distancing nor were they wearing masks.

Photos show both people wearing and not wearing masks, and show some people gathered close together and others keeping distance from one another.

Some on social media criticized the lack of masks and distancing, saying it was hypocritical to support first responders while seemingly ignoring health recommendations regarding the coronavirus.

Finelli said one of the first things organizers spoke out about was encouraging all attendees to wear masks and social distance. But, people will do what they want to do, he said.

Patch has reached out to Haverford Township Manager David Burman for comment.