The Republican Party has sent a letter to the Secret Service urging them to move protesters farther away from the venue for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. The letter, signed by Todd R. Steggerda, counsel to the Republican National Committee, raised concerns about potential confrontations between convention attendees and protesters due to their forced proximity. The letter argued that recent clashes at college and university campuses demonstrate the heightened tensions that can arise in such situations.
The security plan proposed by the Secret Service would confine protesters to Pere Marquette Park, a small public park about a quarter of a mile from the Fiserv Forum, where the convention is to be held. The letter objected to this placement, as it would require convention attendees to pass by the protesters on their way into the venue. Mr. Steggerda contended that packing demonstrators into a park surrounded by the main routes to the arena would only serve to exacerbate tensions, rather than prevent or diffuse them.
The Secret Service stated that they had not yet formally received the letter from the Republican National Committee, but would respond through appropriate channels once they did. Security plans for events like the Republican National Convention are typically developed and approved by an executive steering committee consisting of representatives from the Secret Service, as well as federal, state, and local agencies. The agency did not comment on whether they would consider changing the location of the protest zone in response to the concerns raised in the letter.
The letter did not propose an alternative location for the demonstration zone, but instead suggested that the Secret Service expand the security perimeter to move protesters away from the area surrounding the convention venue. By creating more distance between the protesters and the attendees, the RNC believed that tensions could be reduced and potential conflicts avoided. It remains to be seen how the Secret Service will address these concerns and whether any changes will be made to the security plan for the convention in response to the letter.
