Among the thousands of people who lined up to get into former President Donald Trump’s rally in Aurora on Friday were Robyn and Benjamin Boaz.

Residents of Douglas County, the Boaz pair works with teens with mental health issues, and they’re voting for Trump because he cares about mental health, they said.

Robyn Boaz said lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic made mental health much worse. Trump fought against those lockdowns, she said.

“The mental health crisis, the lockdowns exacerbated it greatly,” Boaz said.

Benjamin Boaz, who said Trump’s policies support people with mental health challenges and Kamala Harris’ do not, said he hopes everyone at the rally walks away knowing they are loved.

“I don’t care who you vote for or what your beliefs are,” Boaz said. “We are here and we care about you.”

Allen Wick, who was visiting from Riverside, California and watching his daughter’s dogs in Aurora, said he has heard all about the gangs in Aurora, but has not seen any of the violence.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not there,” Wick said. “I just had to ask my daughter which streets I should avoid to stay safe.”

Meanwhile, a group of protesters outside Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center took to the street corner, holding signs and engaging with the people waiting in line to get inside and who shouted at them as they passed.

Tim Mullineaux, who was on the corner protesting with his wife and several others, said he works in Aurora and is in the city for much of his life. He lives nearby and grew up in the area.

“I work five minutes down the road, I’ve lived here my whole life, and Trump is going to share a bunch of lies,” Mullineaux said. “Our of state politicians are coming in and are going to hijack the narrative for their own ends.”

Luke, a lifelong Aurora resident who stood several thousand feet people back in line and wore a blue shirt in a sea of red, held a sign that read, “Aurora is a shining light and a beautiful place to live.”

“People are saying right now that Aurora is like a war zone,” he said. “Well I live in Aurora and I don’t see the war zone. It’s a very diverse place and it’s beautiful.”

Luke said the claims Trump has made about Aurora “hurt” the city and its residents.

“His presence here and his words have a big impact,” he said. “I hope while he’s here he sees that this is a beautiful place.”

Meanwhile, Anaissa Vigil and Jacob Herrera, both from Denver, sat along the side of the venue with two small children.

Herrera said the rally speakers have been “spot on,” particularly immigration.

They’re “really excited” for Trump to come to the stage, Vigil said.

“I really hopes he talks about the gangs,” Herrera said. “I just hope they send all of the Venezuelans back.”