MILWAUKEE — Activists who marched outside of Republican National Convention trumpet their efforts despite disappointing crowd estimates. Milwaukee police are touting their partnership with other agencies to provide convention security, even as Ohio officers come under fire for shoot and kill a man in the city.
Some activists and attendees say there was more caution after the apparent attempted murder about former President Donald Trump, while others say the setting was the right place to amplify their message and set the tone for future conventions.
Milwaukee ended its week in the national spotlight with lessons for Chicago, which hosts the Democratic National Convention next month.
On the first day of the convention, activists marched en masse through downtown Milwaukee, chanting for causes including Palestinian solidarity and reproductive rights. Police on the scene and observers estimated that around 1,000 people attended, while organizers say it was closer to 3,000.
Regardless, the numbers fell short of the 5,000 to 10,000 that the Coalition to March on the RNC had predicted in the run-up to the convention. Some believe the shooting at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally scared some people off.
“It probably had an impact on the perceived risk,” said Omar Flores, a coalition organizer. “It may have had a deterrent effect.”
Still, activists believe their protest was a success because they took to the streets peacefully. route they wanted instead of one that outlined the city and they drew attention to their progressive agenda.
Apart from the demonstrations on the first day, there were few other protest activities.
The city had set aside two parks with stages around the convention site for First Amendment activities. More than 100 people and groups from across the political spectrum signed up to speak ahead of the convention. But the no-show rate was more than 80 percent, the city said. One park had only three speakers in one day. City officials said they believe many of those who supported progressive causes chose to join the coalition protest.
But some had other reasons.
Orlando Owens, leader of the Milwaukee County Republicans, had planned to support Trump on a city stage, but said he didn’t because he was too busy with the convention and didn’t want to create more division after the attempted assassination.
“It definitely gave everybody pause,” he said. “It kind of heightened your caution.”
Milwaukee police and the U.S. Secret Service said security planning has been in the works for more than a year, including a heavy police presence on city streets and waterwaysAuthorities said they made no changes to the security plan following the Trump rally shooting, but security around the Republican candidate was tighter.
“There will be challenges, but we have the resources and also the collaboration with innovative partners to be able to pivot as those challenges arise,” said Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.
The convention was not without its security incidents, including the arrest of a 21-year-old man accused of carrying a concealed firearm near the convention. As part of security efforts for the event, Columbus, Ohio, police in Milwaukee on Tuesday shot and killed Samuel Sharpe, who authorities said was armed with knives not far from the convention site.
The shooting sparked anger among residents who said police from outside Milwaukee should not have been in the neighborhood. Activists concerned about police use of force said Milwaukee generally had too many police officers. On Thursday night, relatives and supporters of Sharpe and another man recently murdered in Milwaukee held a rally near Congress to draw attention to the dead.
Norman defended the use of outside agencies, saying the officers took it upon themselves to intervene in an “active, threatening situation.”
“If anything, it restores confidence in our protectors and our community, no matter where they’re from, they support our community,” he said. “They could have just said, ‘Hey, we’re from out of state. Not my problem.’ But did they?”
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said Congress has put the city on the map and the city is ready for more.
“The RNC is not the end, it’s the beginning,” he said. “It’s the beginning of other large-scale events coming to Milwaukee.”
Johnson, a Democrat, said he is preparing to go to Chicago next month.
Like Milwaukee, Chicago has been preparing for months, including a controversial move to moving a large homeless camp.
The crowds are expected to be much larger, with around 50,000 visitors expected. Activists are also expecting tens of thousands of people at the demonstrations planned throughout the week.
The Coalition to March on the DNC, which has sued the city over restrictions on where it can demonstrate, is in discussions about a location near the United Center convention center.
“We all knew the RNC wasn’t going to be the main event of the season, we all knew it was going to be the DNC,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, one of the lead organizers. “Our people in Chicago are hoping that it will be a catalyst for us to take action.”
Chicago police have also prepared with additional training.
Milwaukee Police Chief Norman offered advice to police preparing for the DNC.
“Get plenty of sleep, drink plenty of water,” Norman said. “Make sure you understand your roles.”
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Associated Press Editor Jake Offenhartz contributed to this report.