A coalition of left-wing groups said Thursday they are suing the city of Milwaukee to allow them to demonstrate outside the doors of the Republican National Convention.
“March on the RNC” organizer Omar Flores said city officials have yet to disclose where demonstrators can gather, or along which streets they will be permitted to march during the convention, which kicks off July 15 at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum.
In a statement, march organizers said city officials “are more concerned with letting Republicans spread their racist agenda than letting us exercise our right to protest.”
The group is suing for the right to march on its own proposed route, which would allow demonstrators on streets directly behind and adjacent to the Fiserv Forum, where former President Trump is slated to accept the party’s nomination for president.
Milwaukee City officials and the Secret Service have yet to disclose where they plan to allow demonstrators to gather or march, but a draft plan doesn’t allow marchers quite that close.
Secret Service and city officials have been battling with RNC officials, who say a proposed plan shared with them would allow demonstrators to gather at Pere Marquette Park, which is located less than a mile from the convention center and along the route that attendees will have to travel to enter a key security checkpoint. RNC officials said the plan sets up “a protest trap” for delegates and convention attendees.
In contrast, demonstrators have been pushed more than four miles away from the United Center in Chicago, where the Democratic National Convention is slated to begin on Aug.19. DNC demonstrators, who plan to show up in significant numbers to protest U.S. support of Israel’s war against Hamas, have threatened to march much closer to the United Center even if they are not granted permits to be there.
March on the RNC organizers issued the same threat on Thursday, warning that regardless of the outcome of their lawsuit, demonstrators “will be marching within sight and sound of the Fiserv Forum in July.”
March organizers accused the RNC of attempting to erase the city’s history of supporting minorities, immigrants, unions and the LGBTQ community.
“We know that the people of Milwaukee are with us, and we will not let our City become a playground for the Republicans,” march officials said.
RNC organizers did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the lawsuit.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency last week in Milwaukee, which frees up money and resources, including additional police officers, in preparation for the convention.
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