MILWAUKEE — More than 1,500 demonstrators from across the country gathered in a downtown park Monday to protest the “GOP agenda” on the first day of the Republican National Convention.
Organizers attempting to rally the crowd called it “a beautiful day to march on the RNC” and expressed concerns over the prospect of a second Donald Trump presidency.
There was a large police presence in the area as state and local law enforcement officials are on heightened alert following Saturday’s assassination attempt against the former president at a Pennsylvania rally.
Carrying signs and chanting slogans, protesters marched across the river and into Milwaukee’s business district on their way to the Fiserv Forum, one of this week’s convention venues. Organizers hoped to make their presence felt outside the convention where Republican delegates nominated Trump on Monday.
“It’s important for people who care about the politics of our country to make our voices heard,” longtime activist and Code Pink organizer Medea Benjamin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The Republican and the Democratic conventions are those opportunities.”
Activists championed abortion access in the U.S., calling it a “fundamental right,” and they said they were also concerned about what the Republicans’ immigration policies might mean for the millions of immigrants in the country illegally.
Others called for an immediate end to Israel’s offensive in Gaza, where more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, according to Gaza Health Ministry.
Milwaukee resident Munem Kmail, a Palestinian from Jenin in the West Bank, said he was disgusted by what he called U.S. complicity in the war.
Kmail, a property investor who has lived here 33 years, said he voted for Joe Biden in 2020. Now he isn’t sure if he’ll ever vote for another Democratic candidate.
“Joe Biden has blood on his hands and he should be tried for war crimes,” Kmail said, noting he would probably vote for a third-party candidate in November.
Milwaukee police along the march route were joined by a contingent of officers from across the country in town to assist with security for the convention. The rally remained peaceful and there were no clashes, despite a small group of counterprotesters near the arena.
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