Protesters expected to be moved away from park near GOP convention

Protesters are no longer expected to be allowed in a large Milwaukee park near the arena where the GOP will host its July convention after a months-long pressure campaign by the party, according to a law enforcement official and another person familiar with the matter.

The Secret Service is expected to expand its security perimeter around Fiserv Forum after the Republican National Committee said it would use another facility located near the park for some convention activities, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. That means Pere Marquette Park, which had been eyed as a place for thousands of protesters to gather, would not be the site of protests.

It is the closest large city park to the arena.

Both people familiar with the decision said it was likely to be announced in coming days.

“We applaud Secret Service leadership for including Pere Marquette Park in the security perimeter and we implore local officials to expedite the permit application for this park and choose a different location for the First Amendment zone,” Trump senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.

“As of right now, the security plan for the 2024 Republican National Convention, which includes the security perimeter, is still in development,” said Secret Service spokeswoman Alexi Worley. “The U.S. Secret Service does not determine demonstration zones for National Special Security Events — those decisions are made by the host city. The U.S. Secret Service is continuing to work closely with our public safety partners, the City of Milwaukee, and the Republican National Committee to ensure the highest level of safety and security during the 2024 Republican National Convention.”

Jeff Fleming, a spokesman for the city, said no final decision had been made on where to allow protesters.

The fight over the location of the “First Amendment zone” has stretched for several months among top Republican Party officials, Secret Service officials and local officials in Wisconsin. City leaders say they are required to have a designated area within “sight and sound” of the convention area, and they wanted to use Pere Marquette Park, a large space a few blocks away. They also say they were going to use the same park for the Democratic National Convention in 2020, which was scuttled because of the pandemic.

Both Republican and Democratic Party officials are expecting large protests for their conventions this summer.

Several prominent Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), have raised concerns about the park, which party officials say is near an area where many convention attendees will walk to the arena. They say they fear that demonstrators and convention attendees could clash if they are in proximity.

In a tense 45-minute meeting last month, Secret Service officials said they were aware of no “unrest” related to the protests in the park. And many local activists say they fear the Republicans just want to move protesters farther away from Trump and believe they should be closer than Pere Marquette Park, not farther away.

Republicans have proposed at least one park on the other side of the Milwaukee River from the arena, but the city is considering several possible locations.