Republicans put Milwaukee on lockdown. Protesters fumed.

MILWAUKEE — Protesters will be far from the action as more than 50,000 Republican delegates and GOP party stalwarts descend here to nominate Donald Trump for president.

Demonstrators will be kept blocks from the main convention site, relegated to an area outside of the fenced-off perimeter around the complex. It’s the result of months of fighting between Republicans and the Secret Service — and between liberal activists and the city of Milwaukee — over how to keep a potential 5,000 protesters away from the proceedings.

The battle over the protests at the Republican National Convention grew urgent after campus demonstrations erupted across the country this spring over the ongoing war in Gaza, once again illuminating the disruptive power of protests. And while most protesters acknowledge that the Democratic convention in Chicago is their main target, Republicans wanted to ensure that the gathering to formally install former President Donald Trump as their party’s nominee goes smoothly while projecting a tough-on-crime message.

“We are the party that backs law enforcement and law and order. And so I do think it's important that we make sure that we live up to that reputation. And I think that we will,” said Sandy Wiedmeyer, chair of the Republican Party of Kenosha County and a convention delegate.

At the same time, demonstrators have been livid that they couldn’t march closer to the convention complex located in the heart of downtown Milwaukee at the Fiserv Forum and Wisconsin Center District. They argue they should be "within sight and sound" of the arena to get their messages across about wars overseas and their stands on a range of issues from abortion access and LGBTQ+ rights to housing and the economy.

“It sets a terrible precedent. I mean, they could just rent out our whole city and then the whole thing becomes a credential zone,” said Omar Flores, co-chair of the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024, the group organizing the largest demonstration.

The designated boundaries surrounding the convention site were set in June after a monthslong image-management campaign by Republicans to present an air of order around Trump. Republicans pressured the Secret Service to push back protesters. And they did — after the Republican National Committee reserved the Milwaukee County Historical Society building for events. The Secret Service then adjusted the security perimeter to include the adjacent Pere Marquette Park, preventing protesters from marching near there.

For Republicans, the imposed order is part of pulling off a successful event.

“From the beginning of the convention planning process, we’ve worked closely with key local stakeholders to ensure the most secure and rewarding convention experience possible for upwards of 50,000 guests,” said convention spokesperson Kush Desai.

Desai said he can’t speak “to the law enforcement-sensitive intel regarding potential protest activity [but] we remain diligent in the planning process and are confident in achieving our goals of standing up for all First Amendment rights, ensuring that the democratic process can play out safely.”

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, a staunch Democrat who sees the convention as an economic benefit to the city, said months of discussions with Secret Service and law enforcement went into planning the event. And though he respects protesters’ desire to voice their opinions to delegates, he says it’s “unrealistic” to think they could get any closer to the arena.

"Demonstrators would like to go on stage at Fiserv Forum, and the RNC would rather that they be on the moon. But we have to strike the right balance to make sure that they are able to exercise their First Amendment rights. And I think we've done that," Johnson said in an interview.

The Secret Service is on high alert for threats. Director Kimberly Cheatle told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that the security situation around convention planning is constantly “evolving” but there is “nothing credible” in terms of direct threats heading into the Republican and Democratic national conventions this summer.

But to those hoping to voice their point of view, the security comes at a cost.

ACLU of Wisconsin staff attorney Tim Muth said that the city gave in to the pressure from Republicans to move the protesters farther away from where Trump will be nominated. “It’s about trying to move the image of the protesters as far away from the site of the convention as possible.”

The city of Milwaukee has designated two official protest locations near the security zone, but those are likely a no-go for the Coalition to March on the RNC group. Many of those who have signed up to participate on a speakers’ dais in one protest area are MAGA Republicans.

“We’re not going to be anywhere near it,” said Flores. “We would run the risk of being in conflict with right-wing agitators.”

It's a concern that Wisconsin officials share. Milwaukee Alderman Lamont Westmoreland worries about left-leaning protesters and MAGA Republicans crossing paths during the convention.

“In this political climate, when you’re dealing with groups that have very strong opposing views, it’s not good. We've seen what's happening around the country since 2020,” Westmoreland said. The fact that Wisconsin allows people to carry a concealed weapon if they have a permit raised his concerns even further.

“It’s illegal to conceal guns in Wisconsin if you don't have a concealed carry permit. But if there's nobody screening for weapons in the [soft perimeter] zone, then you don't know who's concealing and who's not concealing,” said Westmoreland.

Coalition to March on the RNC, which includes progressive allies — from abortion rights to homeless and housing advocates — plans a protest on Monday morning that could have 2,500 to 5,000 participants, according to Flores. Another activist put the number at 10,000.

The city and protesters reached a “handshake agreement” on Friday that will allow protesters to march “without being impeded by the police,” according to Flores. A spokesperson for the city did not respond for comment.

They also agreed on a tweak to the march path “to avoid conflict with the people that are marching on the official route,” Flores said.

The protesters will still be in the second-tier area, separated from the credentialed area, according to a map of the protest . Monday afternoon, another group called the Poor People’s Army will march to raise awareness around homelessness. It expects similar numbers of participants — weather permitting. Thunderstorms are in the forecast.

In Chicago, a related protest group is organizing an estimated 40,000 protesters to converge on Chicago next month for the Democratic convention.

The expectation for fewer protesters in Milwaukee than Chicago is the result of a confluence of factors, according to activists. First, Trump isn’t in office. “Joe Biden right now is very clearly like the perpetrator of a lot of what's going on over there in the Middle East. And, you know, he's honestly just an extremely easy target,” Flores said.

Progressive protesters also believe they'll have greater influence over the proceedings inside that arena in Chicago — even if they'll be stationed outside.

“They are going where they think they’ll be heard,” said Marj Halperin, a Democratic analyst and organizer with Indivisible Chicago Alliance. “The GOP will not be sympathetic and won’t change any policies based on protests.”