Hundreds of people have gathered at a peaceful rally along a major bridge near downtown Cleveland the day before the Republican National Convention gets underway. That’s almost all of the city’s downtown. Participants standing on opposite sides of the bridge from one end to the other held hands and stood in silence for several minutes.
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Late Sunday afternoon, a few dozen people began marching in a noisy “Shut Down Trump and the RNC” from east of downtown toward Public Square.
Ohio State Troopers wore a black band across their badges to show respect for the three police officers killed and three others wounded in a sniper attack in Baton Rouge, La., on Sunday morning, a horrific echo of the July 7 shooting in Dallas that left five law enforcement officials dead.
Groups campaigning against racism, Islamophobia, attacks on immigrants and the LGBTQ community were all gearing up to protest against billionaire Donald Trump, who will be officially crowned the party’s presidential nominee tomorrow.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich (KAY’-sihk) says he doesn’t have authority to suspend the state’s law allowing people to openly carry guns. He drew attention from news media as Cleveland police officers milled nearby and a line of around 60 police bicyclists took a break before pedaling off.
It seems, he said, that “everyone is coming to Cleveland to protest or exercise their First Amendment rights”.
“What I’m doing today is a statement about the right to bear arms”, said Steve Thacker, 57, of Westlake.
Thousands of extra law enforcement and security personnel from across the country have embarked upon Cleveland to help fortify the city.
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Cleveland’s police department maintains the city is well prepared for any eventuality.
