(NewsNation) — Over 50,000 people will gather in downtown Milwaukee for the start of the Republican National Convention 2024.
The City of Milwaukee has developed a comprehensive security plan for the area surrounding the Fiserv Forum and the rest of the convention center.
Roads near the site are closed and parking is restricted in certain areas.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming RNC in Milwaukee.
What is the Republican National Convention?
Republicans will meet at the Fiserv Forum convention center from July 15 to 18 to support former President Donald Trump the party’s candidate for the November elections.
Trump is also expected to Candidate for Vice President.
Trump has not yet announced his decision, but Sources confirmed to NewsNation last month that he has narrowed his list of potential candidates for the vice presidency to Governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum, Senator from Ohio, J.D. Vance and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
Trump’s campaign would just say the top criteria who will be a “strong leader” and that Trump is the only one who knows who he will choose as his running mate.
The first Republican National Convention took place in Philadelphia in 1856.
While the conventions produce a number of memorable speeches, the process of candidate confirmation after the event has a very public impact. The conventions represent the unification of a party that may have been splintered on some fronts before the event.
RNC transport restrictions
To accommodate the additional traffic around Fiserv Forum and the surrounding area, parking and driving restrictions have been implemented. Temporary road closures near the security perimeter will begin on July 11.
Eastbound I-794 will be closed at the Jackson St./Van Buren St. exit from 5 a.m. to midnight on Sunday, July 14, and northbound/westbound I-794 will be closed at the Carferry Dr. exit.
Additional restrictions will be in place for the RNC kickoff event at Henry Maier Festival Park on Sunday, July 14, between 5 a.m. and midnight.
From Sunday, July 14, 6 p.m., the area marked in red above will be closed to the general public and can only be entered by persons with a congress pass via one of the designated checkpoints.
The area marked yellow on the public access security map is called the vehicle screening zoneIt is open to the public, but from 2am on Monday 15 July, anyone entering the zone will have to pass through a vehicle checkpoint marked with a black dot on the map.
Pedestrians and cyclists can exploit the yellow vehicle control zone as usual; a check is not necessary.
A complete list of road closures can be found on the City of Milwaukee website.
RNC parking restrictions in Milwaukee
An updated map has been released to make it easier for visitors and residents to park in downtown Milwaukee before, during and after the RNC.
Residents of the yellow zone can enter the zone via an entrance marked with black dots on the map.
On the map above you will find a Detailed breakdown of parking restrictions over the next two weeks.
Public transport near the RNC
The Milwaukee County Transit System’s bus routes into the city center and connecting routes are marked outside the safety zone, especially at major intersections.
The service will operate at normal times, but passengers should expect delays. Further details will be available on the Milwaukee County Transit System website closer to the convention.
Milwaukee’s streetcar, The Hop, will maintain its normal schedule and route from the Third Ward to the East Side.
Access to restaurants and shops during the RNC
Restaurants and shops in the yellow zone will be accessible via vehicle checkpoints, but facilities within the red zone will be closed to the public during the RNC.
Residents and visitors should call in advance to check if opening hours will remain the same during the conference and if reservations are required.
The entrepreneurs disagree about the economic impact they expect from the conference.
“We expect it to cause a lot of trouble but bring in a lot of business,” Ryan Cooke, operations manager at Heard Hospitality, told Wisconsin Public Radio.
“From an events perspective – food, private events, parties, restaurant closures, etc. – the conference was absolutely disappointing,” said Cindi McLeod, spokeswoman for Lupi & Iris, a restaurant in Milwaukee. told the Recombobulation Area. “There aren’t as many requests as we hoped, and in general there’s not a lot of excitement around the convention. I’m sad for Milwaukee. We really wanted this. We really wanted to shine. We were really excited to host these events.”
RNC protest zones
The demonstrators are two outdoor stagesas part of a security plan released by law enforcement on Friday.
North of the convention grounds, the city will set up a stage with microphones and speakers on Dr. MLK, Jr. Drive near McKinley Avenue.
Further south, a stage will be set up in Zeidler Union Square Park. The city has also set up a parade route for anyone who wants to march.
Demonstrators resisted, arguing that the plan’s protest zones were so far away Fiserv Forum that they are not seen or heard.
On Monday, a Federal judge decided Protesters cannot march through the barrier after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing the city of delaying the clearance of a parade route in a way that amounts to a violation of free speech.
“The coalition members have the right to march in protest against the RNC. Their right to do so lies at the heart of the First Amendment. But the First Amendment does not permit them to protest or parade in any manner they choose,” U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig wrote in his ruling.
The Lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Coalition to March on the RNC, a group of local and national organizations including the Milwaukee Democratic Socialists of America, the immigrant advocacy group Voces de La Frontera, and the American Party of Labor.
Protesters have complained that the city is keeping them too far from the convention grounds, which are located inside a security perimeter where credentials are required for entry. Protesters wanted to march inside that security perimeter.
Gun safety at the RNC
People will allowed to carry weapons just a few blocks from the Republican National Convention grounds.
No weapons of any kind are allowed within the inner restricted area. However, people are allowed Carry weapons openly or concealed elsewhere as permitted by state law.
Wisconsin state law only prohibits machine guns, short-barreled shotguns and silencers.
“It’s about behavior,” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. “So understand that there’s going to be a certain level of surveillance and control. That’s the right you want to exercise. Just don’t do anything that could be viewed as a threat or harm to the public.”
More about the Fiserv Forum
Fiserv Forum opens end of August 2018 after 26 months of construction. It replaced the BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee’s former sports and entertainment center, which was demolished in 2019.
The venue hosts up to 200 events each year, including sporting games, concerts, family shows and other entertainment events.
The venue was originally scheduled to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention, but was drastically scaled down due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
When and where will the DNC take place?
The Democrats meet on Chicago’s United Center from 19 to 22 August.
President Joe Biden The party’s nomination seemed secure before the debate with Trump in tardy June.
After Debate last month – an appearance in which Biden struggled with halting speeches and at times incoherent answers – Calls for the president to step down in favor of other potential Democratic candidates have grown louder.
