More on the March on the RNC 2024

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News Features

In the shadow of Milwaukee City Hall in Red Arrow Park, the Coalition to March on the RNC gathered at 10 a.m. on Monday for speeches and a march that looped through downtown, within view of Fiserv Forum—the venue for the Republican National Convention.

Approaching Red Arrow Park after 10 a.m., traffic was gridlocked at the corners of Michigan and Water and Wisconsin and Water Streets. Two well-dressed women in RNC lanyards exited a hotel, one of them stumbled and nearly fell out her platform sandals. When asked if they needed help, she laughed “These are brand new shoes.” 

The south entrance to the park was dominated by an outlier with a loud bullhorn hollering about folks going to hell, warning if you protest too hard “you could end up like George Floyd.”

Yet the sanctioned stage and speakers was orderly and informative, with an agenda that included fighting the racist and reactionary agenda of the Republican Party, defending women's, LGBTQ, and reproductive rights and defending and expanding immigrant rights. Speakers included march organizer Omar Flores, Ryan Clancy (Wisconsin State Assembly) and others.

Shortly after 11:30 a.m. sirens blared on Water Street as a pair of police motorcycles and a pair of unmarked squad cars raced to the checkpoint at Water and State Streets, across from the park. 

Minutes later the march began on schedule. Law enforcement estimated the gathering to be “several thousand.”

Toddlers mingled with veteran protesters; goofballs carrying puppets mixed with Latino broadcasters; one marcher sported a shirt the read “Vote for Pedro.” Throughout the course of the march, volunteers handed out bottles of water to protesters marching in the humid afternoon where temperatures stayed in the upper ‘80s.

“Get up, get down—Milwaukee is a union town.”

One segment of the marchers chanted union solidarity; others decried the actions of the Republican party’s presidential candidate. News crews and reporters from around the globe joined the route. Police presence from out of town assisted in keeping things run orderly. Officers from Columbus, Ohio tailed the marchers at the end of the line; vehicles around downtown displayed plates identifying authorities from across the country.

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Throughout the march police presence was hard to miss, with officers on foot, horseback and bicycle. Several police boats patrolled the river as protesters crossed Downtown bridges.

By the time the march turned east on Wisconsin Avenue a few befuddled, well-dressed RNC attendees were forced to make their way upstream among the marchers. At the intersection of Water and Wisconsin a vehicle with New York plates was determined it needed to cross the line of marchers in order to get there now! Milwaukee police officers directing traffic made it clear to the driver that would not happen until the march had passed.

The march paused for more speeches at Third and Highland, at a stage with Fiserv Forum looming in the background, festooned with RNC signage. By mid-afternoon the march seemed to have concluded without incident.