Hundreds March Against GOP in Milwaukee During First Day of RNC

On Monday, protesters flooded the streets of downtown Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention, calling for racial justice, reproductive rights, and a free Palestine.

The march appeared to be composed of somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 people, and included representatives from around 100 local and national organizations, with demonstrators describing themselves as the “Coalition to March on the RNC.”

Although people from Wisconsin were well-represented within the march, demonstrators came from states across the country to protest the GOP agenda, voicing their opposition to attacks on reproductive rights, anti-LGBTQ legislation, and economic oppression of the working class, as well as Republicans’ racism against immigrants and Brown and Black people, among other items.

Much of the march centered around condemning U.S. politicians on both side of the aisle who have sent a steady stream of weapons to Israel amid its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

Demonstrators first met at Red Arrow Park in downtown Milwaukee, where some of the participants spoke to Truthout about their views on Republicans convening in the Democratic-leaning and progressive city.

“I really oppose the agenda of the Republicans. I oppose the support of the Democrats of the bombing of Gaza as well. So I’m here to say that this is an important issue and can’t be silent on something this terrible that’s going on,” said one member of CODEPINK, an anti-war women’s organization, prior to the march.

“We’re standing up [to support] a free Palestine, women’s rights, the LGBTQ community, and [oppose] wrongful incarcerations,” said Alissa, a member of the Minnesota branch of Wrongfully Incarcerated & Over-Sentenced Families Council.

Asked if Republicans would respond to protesters’ concerns during the convention this week, Alissa said she didn’t “expect Republicans to say anything good.”

“So we’re here to fight for our rights — no one but us is going to do it,” she added.

Chrisly, a Tampa, Florida-based member of Students for a Democratic Society, said she came to speak out against “the reactionary right-wing agenda” of Republicans.

“We want to say ‘no’ to their attack on reproductive rights, we want to stand with Palestine, and we want peace and justice and equality for all,” she said.

For hours preceding the march, speakers encouraged participants to oppose the far right.

“I came here to loudly and proudly oppose a racist and bigoted agenda of the Republican Party,” said Kobi Guillory, a middle school teacher from Chicago and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Guillory added:

For decades, Republicans have been on a mission to deprive a majority of people in this country of their basic human rights. Their attacks on Black and Brown people, on women, on immigrants, on the LGBTQ community and the working class have destroyed the lives and the livelihoods of millions of people. Defeating the Republican agenda is a matter of life and death for working and oppressed people.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, spoke out against political violence, condemning the assassination attempt against Trump over the weekend but noting that demands for less violent political rhetoric had to start with Republicans themselves.

“We grieve for those who died and were harmed on Saturday,” Neumann-Ortiz said in her speech. “At the same time, it’s undeniable that Trump’s rhetoric, policies and actions have contributed to a climate of increased violence and legitimized hate crimes by white nationalists.”

“[Trump’s] hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric against immigrants and calls for mass expulsion have led to an increase in crimes against people of color and immigrants,” she added.

The march started shortly after 12 pm Central Time. After months of negotiation with the city — and after activist groups, represented by the ACLU of Wisconsin, threatened a lawsuit — an agreement was reached to allow protesters to demonstrate through the eastern part of what is known as the “soft” security zone for the RNC, an area where there are security checks but credentials aren’t needed.

Despite the agreement, the city failed to provide an obstruction-free route, with demonstrators at one point having to climb over barricades that were left on the street, making it difficult for people with disabilities to move around them. There was a highly militarized police presence throughout the entirety of the protest, on both land and in the Milwaukee River.

Several onlookers dining at restaurants during the lunch hour — potentially individuals taking part in the convention — took notice of the march as it went down Plankinton Ave. But the march wasn’t allowed to get any closer to Fiserv Forum, where the actual convention is taking place.

Still, protesters made their numbers heard, with their chants echoing between buildings far beyond the streets they were in. Their chants included “The people united will never be defeated,” “Show me what democracy looks like,” and “No more nickels, no more dimes, no more bombing Palestine,” among others.

During the march, one Palestinian American man spoke to Truthout about why he had come.

“We are here for justice in Palestine against genocide, ethnic cleansing, 75 years of occupation,” he said.

Did the GOP hear the message? “I hope so, loud and clear,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 released a press release, stating:

While our Coalition is closing, our work is not stopping. Our endorsing organizations will continue their work to stand with Palestine, defend and expand immigrants’ rights, defend women’s, LGBTQ, and reproductive rights, and demand peace, justice, and equity for all.

The coalition also said that many organizations that took part in the march on Monday “will be shifting their focus to Chicago and the DNC” next month.

“We know that the Democrats are working just as hard as the Republicans to promote racist and reactionary policies, especially when it comes to sending money and weapons to Israel,” the press release added.