Cleveland police anticipate 'days' of protests after Republican convention

The Cleveland police are bracing for and preparing themselves for days of protests following the Republican National Convention. — (Image credit: Angelo Merendino/Getty Images)

Republicans are busy packing their bags for Cleveland, where the national convention is set to take place from Monday, July 18 through Thursday, July 21. But also setting their GPS devices to point them toward the Buckeye State will be protesters — and lots of them.

Everyone from the Westboro Baptist Church to the Bikers for Trump to the Coalition to Stop Trump is slated to make an appearance, and in anticipation, police are bracing for days of protests, USA Today reports. Authorities have been preparing for possibly violent clashes for months, as dozens of groups have signed up for permits for marches, demonstrations, and speaking events.

"We do intend to show a force. We don't want these out-of-towners coming to our city and causing trouble. We have to stand up and defend our city," Bikers for Trump organizer Bill Daher told USA Today. Meanwhile, the organizers for the Westboro Baptist Church released a statement reflecting an entirely different set of priorities: "The 'Christians' and 'conservatives' that will flock to Cleveland are full of idolatry, adultery, fornication, and sodomy … No one gives a single thought to his or her duty to submit to, fear, and obey God." The Coalition to Stop Trump predicted a peaceful event, however, and said, "We're just asking that the Trump people be aware of who we are and when we're going to march, so they can choose to keep a distance. And we're asking the police to respect our right to express our opposition to hate and intolerance."

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Code Pink, Cleveland Peace Action, and other groups will also be attending the convention in Cleveland. Some of their protests and speeches are listed here.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.