MILWAUKEE — With less than three months until the Republican National Convention (RNC), security preparations are ongoing.

However, the Republican National Committee is expressing concerns that the area where protesters may be stationed during the convention is too close to the security zone itself.

What You Need To Know

  • The Repubican National Committee has concerns about how close protesters may be allowed to the convention

  • An RNC attorney wrote a letter about their concerns to the US Secret Service

  • Some who plan to protest believe they will not be able to get close enough

Spectrum News obtained a letter sent by Attorney Todd Steggerda on behalf of the RNC to US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. In the letter, the RNC highlights concerns it has about the proximity of Pere Marquette Park to the convention security zone.

Pere Marquette Park has not officially been named the designated first amendment zone, where protests are allowed to take place. However, it has served that purpose in the past during the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

In the letter, a variety of concerns are expressed, including how close the park is to the secure perimeter where convention attendees will come and go from events.

While addressing the park’s location, the letter reads:

“This will force thousands of peaceful attendees and demonstrators, who may otherwise choose to avoid or limit direct, proximate engagement with one another, to be in extremely close, consistent, and unavoidable proximity…”

Other concerns relate to traffic flow, the letter referring to the planned protest location as a “critical flaw”.

Not everyone feels the Pere Marquette Park location will be too close, in fact others feel it is not close enough.

Omar Flores leads the Coalition to March on the RNC, a group planning to stage protests during the convention. Flores said having a location where demonstrations can be seen and heard by event attendees is key to getting their message out.

“Even Pere Marquette Park is honestly way too far in order to be considered within sight and sound,” said Flores.

Flores also said protests do not necessarily lead to violence or other issues, something he wants to make clear.

“We plan on this being a family friendly march, we have led many family friendly marches here in Milwaukee, myself I have organized near 100 protests here that I have never had any kind of issue,” said Flores.

The U.S. Secret Service is responsible for creating the security perimeter for the RNC, while the City of Milwaukee selects the designated demonstration area.

Spectrum News 1 reached out to the U.S. Secret Service for comment on the letter. We have not yet heard back.

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