MILWAUKEE — Activists gather in Milwaukee for the start of the Republican National Convention say the attempted murder about former President Donald Trump will not affect their long-standing plans to demonstrate outside the convention grounds this week.
A diverse range of organizations and activists are expected outside the Fiserv Forum downtown. The largest demonstration expected to begin Monday morning. The Coalition to March on the RNC, made up largely of local groups, planned to protest abortion access, immigrant rights and the war in Gaza among other things.
“The shooting has nothing to do with us,” said Omar Flores, a spokesman for the coalition, referring to shots fired at Trump Saturday night at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. “We are going to continue with the march as planned.”
The United States Secret Service has said that security plans — which have been in the works for more than a year — remain unchanged following Saturday’s shooting in which Trump said a bullet pierced his ear and footage showed blood streaming from a wound. A nearby audience member was fatally shot and two others seriously wounded in the attack, prompting widespread calls to review security measures.
The progressive coalition protesting the RNC has touted its Monday demonstrations as “family-friendly.” Organizers expect an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 participants. In addition, the Philadelphia-based Poor People’s Army, which advocates for economic justice, plans an afternoon march. Smaller organizations also plan to protest in parks closer to the convention site, where Trump will officially accept the party. presidential nomination later this week.
Milwaukee leaders reiterated their confidence in the security plans Sunday as delegates, activists and journalists descended on the city, with an estimated 30,000 people expected.
Trump arrived in Milwaukee on Sunday.
“We take this very, very seriously. We take public safety very, very seriously,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said Sunday. “And I was so pleased to work with not only the United States Secret Service, but local law enforcement and public safety here.”
Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said law enforcement is working “around the clock” to be prepared.
Before the Pennsylvania shooting, the activist coalition conflict months with the city and the police about a march route. Activists lost a lawsuit about restrictions on where they could demonstrate and were concerned that their message was not being properly conveyed.
But on Friday they announced a “handshake agreement” over their route, which includes allowing a city representative to accompany their protest to “ensure everything goes smoothly.”
City officials and federal authorities have repeatedly said their priority is safety and insist that they have made provisions for free speech. The city has allowed protests in two parks near the convention. One, Haymarket Square Park, is visible from the convention site. A city-provided stage will be set up nearby, and speakers will each be given 20 minutes. A city application lists more than 100 people with a wide range of agendas, including abortion rights activists, veterans groups and political candidates. The other park, Zeidler Union Square, is less than a mile away.
Activists say they will spice up their messages with lighthearted moments, such as costumes and a TV ventriloquist carrying a Trump dummy.
There is also a heavy police presence.
Many activists are using the Milwaukee experiences to prepare for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month. That event is expected to draw even more people, and Chicago police are working course on constitutional police action and preparation for possible mass arrests.
Milwaukee Police did some exercises related to the congress, but there was no broad training.
“Any large gathering, people always have to be on their toes,” said Hilario Deleon, chairman of the Milwaukee County Republican Party. “If it’s successful, the city is successful.”
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Associated Press editor Kathleen Foody contributed to this report from Chicago.