On March 19, 2024 the Milwaukee Common Council is scheduled to vote on a proposed ordinance that could affect protests at this July’s Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum and other downtown locations.
On March 18, a council committee endorsed establishing regulations and a permit system for the use of city streets and public property during the RNC.
The proposal says people have a First Amendment right to take part in peaceful assemblies and parades near the convention, subject to reasonable content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions — designed to protect public safety and property.
Public Works Committee Chairperson Robert Bauman says he knows parts of the proposal remain controversial and may trigger legal action.
”I do think we need to get something in place, sooner rather than later. If groups have issues that which they seek legal review, I welcome it. I have no objection to that. But we’ve gotta pass this before a legal review is even appropriate," Bauman says.
The committee did agree to some changes after hearing from groups that want to hold protests.
But Omar Flores of the Coalition to March on the RNC told the committee the location of the demonstrations is important.
“We want to be within sight and sound of where they’re going to be hosting the convention, and not the security perimeter which was sort of talked about before. The county park they plan on using is a quarter mile away from where they’ll be hosting the convention," Flores says.
In an e-mail to WUWM on the evening of March 18, Flores says where the marches can take place is still unclear, and so is whether the coalition will be given priority in the permitting process.
Flores calls for more public input on the proposal and says if there are not more changes, the coalition anticipates going to court.
