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Protesters expected to be moved away from park near GOP convention

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2 years ago

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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.

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“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.

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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.



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Washington

Inside Woodlawn Cemetery’s mission to preserve history

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5 hours ago

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June 24, 2026

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Inside Woodlawn Cemetery’s mission to preserve history


The iron gate to Woodlawn Cemetery is almost always locked shut, but Toni White-Richardson was more than happy to let News4 inside.

As president of the Woodlawn Cemetery Perpetual Care Association, she was excited to talk about what makes this resting place so special.

“It is major D.C. history, first. Then it’s also major Black history, second,” White-Richardson said.

More than 30,000 people, mostly African Americans, are buried among the 22 acres of Woodlawn Cemetery, which opened in Southeast D.C. in 1895. And like so many cemeteries that date back to the 1800s, particularly African American cemeteries, this one has fallen into disrepair, is overgrown and has headstones tumbled over, like those of Wilhelmina and her husband James, and Eliza Spencer, a mother who died in 1887.

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“Let me do a very upfront disclaimer,” White-Richardson said. “We have no idea where these stones go. And when we looked at the grid, it became even clear as mud, it became less clear as to where these stones should really go. Unfortunately, when we look back, we can tell there was a plan, but we could see we never got totally completed. Even back then, there are no markers saying this is Section H or this is Section G or this is 102 and this is, none of that.”

One of the most notable Washingtonians laid to rest here is John Mercer Langston, Virginia’s first Black congressman.

“Langston University came one year because they had a grand reunion in D.C., and we arranged for them to come to see […] John Mercer Langston, the university that was named after this man,” White-Richardson said.

And Blance Bruce, the first Black U.S. senator to serve a full term and register of the treasury, is also buried in the cemetery.

“He’s the signature on our dollar bill, you know, back in the late 1800s,” White-Richardson said. “So, oh, it’s history. It’s capital letters. No getting around it.”

Woodlawn is also the resting place of several of the original founders of two of the country’s most prominent Black sororities, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta. Both organizations volunteer to help with clean ups.

The Perpetual Care Association recently received a grant from the D.C. Office of Planning to help with upkeep of the grounds and preserving the history here.

“These are important individuals who’ve made contributions to the District a century ago, but today still their history and their stories reverberate and really influence the trajectory of our city,” said Anita Cozart, director of the D.C. Office of Planning.

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The cemetery tucked away off Benning Road is only open to the public five days a year, but groups can request tours anytime. The next chance to visit Woodlawn when it will be open to the public is Labor Day.

They’re always looking for volunteers and donors to help with the upkeep of this sacred ground.



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Parsing Trump’s claims about Washington’s reflecting pool

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15 hours ago

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June 24, 2026

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Parsing Trump’s claims about Washington’s reflecting pool


US President Donald Trump wanted to mark the US’s 250th birthday with a renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall.

The makeover, including a new coat of “American Flag blue,” cost taxpayers $16 million (€14.1 million).

But the water is covered in green algae. The blue paint is already peeling. Trump has blamed vandals, while his critics question the project’s transparency and cost.

DW’s Brent Goff and Washington correspondent Janelle Dumalaon unpack the whole fiasco.

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Social media reacts to former BYU star AJ Dybantsa going No. 1 in 2026 NBA draft

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1 day ago

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June 23, 2026

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Social media reacts to former BYU star AJ Dybantsa going No. 1 in 2026 NBA draft


Former BYU basketball star AJ Dybantsa fulfilled his dream of going No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA draft.

The Washington Wizards selected Dybantsa with the first pick.

Immediately after the pick, reactions poured in on social media about the Wizards drafting Dybantsa.

Social media reactions to the Washington Wizards selecting BYU star AJ Dybantsa

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Want more coverage of BYU sports? Take us with you wherever you go.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up to date on all your favorite teams.

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