MILWAUKEE – The Secret Service officially announced Friday its designation of the protest zones and “hard security zone” during the RNC.
The ACLU of Wisconsin sued the City of Milwaukee earlier this month for severely restricting the First Amendment Rights of those seeking to protest during the RNC, asserting that demonstrators are being denied the right to assemble within sight and sound of the convention.
Tim Muth, staff attorney for the ACLU of Wisconsin, issued the following statement in response to the announcement:
“We were surprised and disappointed to see how many blocks of Downtown Milwaukee the Secret Service has declared off limits to anyone but convention attendees. The large size of this zone makes it more critical than ever that the City take steps to allow for effective opportunities for expression and assembly by those with differing viewpoints.
The ACLU and the Coalition to March attempted to mediate our differences with the City, but the divide was too great to bridge so we will proceed with our case in federal court in Milwaukee. We hope for a swift ruling that will vindicate the Coalition’s plan for a march that passes within sight and sound of Fiserv Forum.
The expansion of the credentialled zone all the way to the Milwaukee River and including Pere Marquette Park cannot be justified. The expansion represents an impermissible concession to the Republican National Committee, which did not want to see or hear demonstrators near its convention.”
