According to reports, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has written a letter to the Secret Service, requesting them to maintain a greater distance between protesters and the Milwaukee convention venue in July.
The New York Times first reported a three-page letter that raised objections to a proposed plan that designated a specific area for protesters to demonstrate.
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According to Todd R. Steggerda, the author of the letter and counsel to the RNC, individuals attending the convention will need to navigate through the protesters as they make their way into Fiserv Forum, the venue for the event.
The Hill has contacted the RNC to obtain a copy of the letter. According to the Times, Steggerda mentioned the pro-Palestinian protests happening on college campuses. He expressed concerns about the potential for verbal or physical altercations due to the “forced proximity” between groups with differing ideologies.
According to the letter, the Secret Service’s proposed security plan would position protesters at Pere Marquette Park, a small public park located a quarter of a mile away from the convention center.
Steggerda wrote that if demonstrators are packed into a park that is essentially boxed in by the two streets used by thousands of attendees to enter the convention site, it will only serve to increase tension instead of preventing and diffusing it.
The Hill contacted the Secret Service for comment, and according to the Times, Alexi Worley, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, stated that the agency has not officially received the letter. Worley further mentioned that if the agency does receive the letter, they will respond through appropriate channels.
The Times reported that it received the letter through hand delivery, specifically addressed to Secret Service Director Kimberly A. Cheatle.
The RNC suggested that the Secret Service should enlarge its security perimeter to ensure that protesters are situated at a greater distance from the arena. However, they did not put forward an alternative location for protesters to gather.
