Protest Coalition Marches on RNC Opening Day

Jul. 16, 2024

10:12 a.m.

Photo by Tea Krulos

Republican National Convention protestors in Milwaukee July 15, 2024

Despite a sweltering summer sun, well over a thousand people showed up to take their message to the streets in face of the Republican National Convention, which officially started today.

The “March on the RNC” protestors gathered downtown in Red Arrow Park, where they were rallied by guest speakers who had messages that reflected the signs and banners carried by the crowd– Black Lives Matter, pro-choice, and pro-Palestine, as well as admonishing Donald Trump and the Republican Party in general. Just after noon, the protestors marched through the streets, chanting “Hey hey! Ho ho! These Republicans have got to go!!” Dozens of sweaty photojournalists from media outlets around the world sprinted down the street to stay ahead of the crowd to get good footage.

There were few counter-protestors to face them– a handful of what looked like Westboro Baptist Church or a similar ilk held pro-life banners and shouted homophobic slurs through a bullhorn, and a man dressed as Uncle Sam on a Segway zipped around chanting “Trump won! We all know he won!” through a microphone. But there was no sign of violence. Police mostly kept their distance, except for a few officers on loan from Columbus who walked with the group.

The protestors marched in a loop up to Wisconsin Avenue, at times climbing over concrete barriers meant to block vehicles, and past black metal fences to caging off the RNC zone. After circling around to Red Arrow Park, they kept moving. “Here we come, RNC!” they chanted as they turned onto Juneau Avenue, then marched onto Old World Third Street, the closest they would get to Fiserv Forum, where the convention is taking place.

They stopped to rally there for several minutes near Old World Third and Highland, the site of one of the fortified convention entry checkpoints. A group of about a dozen pro-life demonstrators were outside, and the larger protest group countered their chants with “Fight fight fight! Abortion is a human right!” and as they moved on, they erupted into a concise chant aimed at the Fiserv: “Fuck Donald Trump!”

From there the crowd turned back to Red Arrow Park, where they tried to find shade while they listened to more guest speakers. It was a hot but peaceful event.