Protesters should be moved away from park near GOP convention

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

Protesters should no longer be allowed into a large Milwaukee park near the arena where the GOP will host its July convention after a months-long pressure campaign by the party, according to a law enforcement official and another person close to the case.

The Secret Service is expected to expand its security perimeter around Fiserv Forum after the Republican National Committee said it would use another facility near the park for some convention activities, according to the people, who spoke under the guise of anonymity to describe private conversations. This means that Père Marquette Park, which was considered a gathering place for thousands of demonstrators, would not be the site of demonstrations.

This is the largest urban park closest to the arena.

The two people familiar with the matter said it would likely be announced in the coming days.

“We commend Secret Service leaders for including Pere Marquette Park in the security perimeter and implore local officials to expedite the permit application for this park and choose a different location for the First Amendment zone.” , Trump senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.

“At this time, the security plan for the 2024 Republican National Convention, which includes the security perimeter, is still being developed,” Secret Service spokeswoman Alexi Worley said. “The U.S. Secret Service does not determine event areas for special national security events – those decisions are made by the host city. The U.S. Secret Service continues to work closely with our public safety partners, the City of Milwaukee and the Republican National Committee to ensure the highest level of safety and security during the 2024 Republican National Convention.”

Jeff Fleming, a city spokesman, said no final decision has been made on where to allow protesters.

The fight over the location of the “First Amendment Zone” has been going on for several months between top Republican Party officials, Secret Service officials and local officials in Wisconsin. City leaders say they are required to have a designated area “within sight and sound” of the convention area, and they want to use Pere Marquette Park, a large space just a few blocks away. of houses. They also said they were going to use the same park for the 2020 Democratic National Convention, which was scuttled due to the pandemic.

Officials from the Republican and Democratic parties expect large protests for their conventions this summer.

Several prominent Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), have raised concerns about the park, which party officials say is near an area where many participants in the convention will walk to the arena. They say they fear that demonstrators and convention-goers could clash if they are nearby.

In a tense 45-minute meeting last month, Secret Service officials said they were not aware of any “disturbance” related to protests at the park. And many local activists say they fear that Republicans simply want to keep protesters away from Trump and think they should be closer than Father Marquette Park, not further away.

Republicans have proposed at least one park across the Milwaukee River, but the city is considering several possible locations.