‘Peoples Rights Parade’ to swing downtown

Event begins Saturday in the WinCo parking lot

After the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce announced June 25 the organization was canceling this year’s Fourth of July parade and festivities, another group has decided to fill the void.

Casey Whalen, the conservative activist behind the North Idaho Exposed watchdog platform and the organizer of the June 13 Liberate America event at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, has organized the “Peoples Rights Parade,” an Independence Day motorized convoy he says promotes freedoms Idahoans take for granted.

“It’s about freedom and liberty,” Whalen said. “Our liberty is at stake. We don’t need city officials to tell us whether or not we can or can’t celebrate the Fourth. After they canceled their parade, we decided to go ahead with ours.”

Parade-goers will assemble at the WinCo parking lot on the corner of Ramsey and Appleway at 10 a.m. on Saturday, load up their vehicles and begin a procession on Northwest Boulevard, then along the full stretch of Sherman Avenue to I-90 before finishing back at WinCo.

In a YouTube video promoting the event, Whalen said the mass event cancellations in response to COVID-19 were statistical overreactions.

“The population of Idaho is 1.6 million,” Whalen said in the video. “There are over 3,000 in the state affected by COVID-19, with many who have recovered. This is 2/10ths of 1% of the population of Idaho. Is it really worth destroying an economy and way of life for an entire state and nation? Over 2/10ths of 1%?”

Their celebration will include what Whalen describes as a display of flags, messages of patriotism and an exercise of the Second Amendment.

“This will be a parade of vehicles: lots of pickup trucks with patriots riding in the back with flags,” Whalen said, “patriotic signs, long guns slung, open-carry and enthusiasm. We won’t block the roadway, but we’ll let folks know we love this country as we drive along this route.”

Whalen said a meeting and barbecue will be held at McEuen Park at noon, where attendees will hear from speakers and discuss liberties Whalen said are under daily attack from tyranny. The meeting will also cover a new nationwide communication system Whalen said can empower families and businesses who feel their freedoms are being encroached upon by local, state and federal governments.

“It’s a system where we can let people know — county by county or region by region — if there’s an issue with a business or a family that’s having a problem with the government,” he explained. “Like with contact tracing: If a family says, ‘No, we’re not interested (in participating).’ Or if a business wants to operate, and the government is harassing them. It’s peaceful, by all means. But it’s a way to support one another through this.”

The text network is also a way to communicate upcoming meetings, town halls, get-togethers and information. People can opt in by texting the word “RIGHTS” to 80123.

Whalen said the parade was inspired by the first week of June, when an armed resistance assembled in Coeur d’Alene’s downtown district, lining the streets after hearing rumors of rioters coming to the area.

The four days have since been commemorated by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee and have led to armed citizens appearing at peaceful protests in Coeur d’Alene.

“We’re going to exercise our rights,” Whalen said. “We’re going to celebrate America and celebrate our rights. And then we’re going to have a barbecue in the park later. It’s a potluck, so we’re asking everyone to bring a side, in more ways than one.”