Guns, white supremacists, and Trump’s sentencing heighten concerns about the convention’s threats to the city’s residents.
This article first appeared in The Recombobulation Area, a weekly opinion column and online publication covering news and politics in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. Since the article’s initial publication, Recombobulation Area founder Dan Shafer has posted about some related developments.
As we rapidly approach the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next month, safety concerns continue to escalate.
As soon as it was announced that Milwaukee was a finalist to host the convention, I and so many others in the local community had huge concerns about safety. Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s claims of the economic impact were not enough for us to feel any comfort.
The safety concerns are surrounding those who would come to town to attend and participate in the convention. The Republican Party has become a home for white supremacists. I highly doubt these folks—the ones who support (or even attended) the insurrection on Jan. 6—are going to be kind to working-class, Black and Brown service-industry folks.
Some of these same business owners are now singing another tune, saying the protest zone and security perimeter will disrupt their business. At the end of the day, for some, all this was about was another business opportunity—unfortunately, at the expense of community safety.
As the date approaches, things seem to be far from finalized. Just last week, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced their lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee, arguing the city’s ordinances on protest activity around the convention violate the First Amendment. The same day of the Trump verdict, it was announced that guns would be allowed in the RNC footprint, but not hard water bottles.
After hearing the news of Trump’s guilty verdict, naturally, social media and my phone lit up. Then came the news of the timeline for his sentencing. Trump will be sentenced on July 11, just four days before Milwaukee hosts the RNC from July 15 to 18.
That news, combined with the news about guns being allowed, sent a chill down my spine. I have always been worried that another Jan. 6 could happen—that the first try was mere practice. The former president’s dangerous rhetoric has led to an increase in hate crimes and far-right extremism. This is Donald Trump’s Republican Party.
Locally, too, Republicans often talk down on Milwaukee and its residents. Now, they are hosting their largest convention here. But they didn’t suddenly have a change of heart. They are trying to win over some Black voters in the city while simultaneously being agitators to our community.
Wisconsin law prevents the city and all local governments from “prohibiting the possession or carrying of legal firearms.” While I agree with the 2nd Amendment, this political climate calls for an exception. Why would there even be a need to have a gun at a political convention? I would also say the same for the Democratic National Convention.
I recently tweeted my frustration and the ugly side of Twitter came out. One response was “Where is the outrage over the thugs running wild in your city murdering people with guns?” A clear example of the hate Milwaukee gets and the racist dog whistles we face. I responded to that tweet with a snarky “You mean Kyle Rittenhouse? Yeah I’m mad about that too.” That triggered some of the most die-hard Rittenhouse fans. I was called racial slurs, gendered slurs, and even sent a GIF of a monkey.
I mention this online interaction because, with their own racist and misogynistic replies, they proved my point. The Republican Party has become a party of hate and they have no problems showing it on full display. They’ve been emboldened. These are the people we are rolling out the red carpet for, and now allowing to carry guns.
Each day that passes by it feels like we are living in a dystopian nightmare. Things that should be common sense are met with vitriol. There was a day when it was unpopular to be racist, let alone openly on the internet for the world to see.
Other safety concerns for the RNC are the same for any other major convention. How do we make sure unhoused people are not just criminalized and swept “out of the way”? With the increased law enforcement agencies and surveillance, how do we make sure our local communities are safe? How can our communities feel protected against violent extremism? It was reported that three Milwaukee-area police officers were listed on a membership of the far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers. While even just one law enforcement officer listed as a member of this group is concerning, I think the numbers might be much higher than what we know, even if they aren’t official members.
While it’s OK to celebrate when it feels like the former president is finally being held accountable, we know that accountability will come with backlash from his supporters. This is a backlash that could easily be played out days after his sentencing in our own city—a city that is majority Black and Brown, and does not easily relate to today’s Republican Party. Our elected officials have a duty to do all they can to protect the community they represent. The community’s safety needs to come before any economic impact or scoring any political points.
Milwaukee in many ways feels like the underdog. We have to fight to protect and defend our city all the time. This is no different. It feels like we’re living in a pressure cooker waiting to explode. The physical and psychological effects of hosting the convention are real and city leaders need to be ready for whatever it will bring.