Video shows workers at Tulsa arena ripping off social distancing stickers after being 'ordered by Trump campaign' to remove them ahead of rally

Video has emerged of what is believed to be volunteer workers for the Trump campaign removing social distancing stickers that had been placed on seats throughout the BOK Center in Tulsa last weekend.

In the hours before the rally took place last Saturday, staffers directed thousands of stickers that read 'Do Not Sit Here, Please!' to be removed from seats around the 19,000 seat Oklahoma arena. 

The stickers had been deliberately placed on the seats in order for people to keep to social distancing rules but, video shows them clearly being ripped off. 

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Volunteer workers were instructed to remove thousands of social distancing stickers before Trump's Tulsa rally last Saturday

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President Trump's campaign directed the removal of thousands of 'Do Not Sit Here, Please!' stickers from seats, although in the end far fewer people showed up that was predicted 

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President Donald Trump arrives on stage to speak at a campaign rally at the BOK Center last Saturday. Plenty of open seats were visible at the rally

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There had been concerns before the event took place at the close proximity attendees might be to one another, so management at the area bought 12,000 do-not-sit stickers for the rally.

The idea was to keep seats open between people seated in the arena with every other seat occupied. 

Cases of coronavirus had been rising in Tulsa County with Trump facing criticism for bringing together such a large crowd indoors for a political rally.     

However, according to the Washington Post Trump's campaign staff told managers of the event to stop and the removal of the stickers began. 

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The campaign denies having any knowledge of instructing a removal to take place. A local TV station filmed police officers placing the stickers onto the seats earlier in the day

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A supporter sits in the upper seats during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump at the BOK Center, last Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma

In the video clip seen by the Post, the stickers can be seen being ripped from the seats. 

By the time the event began and Trump was taking to the stage, there was no social distancing present in the crowd whatsoever with no empty seats visible between those gathered. 

'They also told us that they didn't want any signs posted saying we should social distance in the venue,' Doug Thornton, executive vice president of ASM Global said. 'The campaign went through and removed the stickers.' 

The Trump campaign has not responded to specific questions about the sticker removal. 

'The rally was in full compliance with local requirements. In addition, every rally attendee received a temperature check prior to admission, was given a face mask, and provided ample access to hand sanitizer,' said Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh in a statement.

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In the end, the attendance turned out to be far less than Trump had expected with plenty of empty seats visible in the upper levels 

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Trump held his first political rally since the start of the coronavirus pandemic at the BOK Center on Saturday while infection rates in the state of Oklahoma continue to rise

Before the rally, Murtaugh wrote: 'We take safety seriously, which is why we're doing temperature checks for everyone attending, and providing masks and hand sanitizer. This will be a Trump rally, which means a big, boisterous, excited crowd. We don't recall the media shaming demonstrators about social distancing - in fact the media were cheering them on.' 

In the end, the attendance turned out to be far less than Trump had expected.

He had claimed that one million people wanted tickets but the arena ended up being far from full.  

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President Trump's first campaign rally since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the U.S. drew far fewer supporters than the president and his advisers had predicted although the were no social distancing in many areas