(UnitedHeadlines.com) -On July 8, a federal judge blocked protesters from marching through a security zone at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, set to begin July 15.
The ruling comes after the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in June, alleging Milwaukee’s plans for not protesting in the security zone violated the protesters’ right to free speech. They wanted the judge to order Milwaukee to design a protest route for the marchers within sight and hearing of the Republican delegates gathering at the Fiserv Forum. Protesters had sought to march inside a security perimeter where credentials are required.
In his order, U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig said that the First Amendment allows them the right to march but does not allow the protesters the ability to protest anywhere they choose. According to the order, the security plan, devised by both the U.S. Secret Service and Milwaukee city officials, is “reasonable” as they balanced protesters’ right to free speech along with “legitimate security and other governmental interests.” The security plan has a stage for speakers and a route for marchers that brings them close to five blocks from the arena.
Despite ruling against the ACLU and the protesters regarding the protest march route, the judge did agree with the ACLU that speaker and demonstration applications could not be approved by Milwaukee and Commissioner of Public Works Jerrel Kruschke based on an applicant’s criminal history.
On July 9, March on the RNC Coalition chairman Omar Flores distributed a map of the protest route, adding that the protesters would march where they wanted to in the “family-friendly” protest, set to begin at Red Arrow Park. The protest route runs along the edge of the inner security zone where credentials are required and inside an outer security perimeter. Flores stated the protesters are “preparing for the worst, but expecting the best.”
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