The 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee was marked by significant protests from a coalition of groups opposing the Republican platform.

Various groups, including communists, LGBTQ advocates, and pro-Palestinian activists, assembled to express their discontent, just days after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, as the Daily Mail reports.

Protesters Gather in Downtown Milwaukee

The convention commenced in downtown Milwaukee, drawing a diverse group of protesters to the so called "March on RNC 2024." Self-declared anti-fascists, pro-Palestinians, LGBTQ advocates, and communists gathered just blocks away from the RNC headquarters at Fiserv Forum on Monday afternoon.

These protesters aimed to express their disagreements with the GOP platform and to make the Republican attendees feel unwelcome. The demonstration occurred less than 48 hours after an assassination attempt on Donald Trump by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.

Inside the RNC, the atmosphere contrasted sharply with air conditioning and excitement over Trump's new vice-presidential pick, Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.

Negotiations Lead to March Agreement

The event's organizers had been in negotiations with the city for weeks regarding the march route, finally reaching an agreement over the weekend to proceed with the march on Monday. Various groups at the event distributed political literature and signs, both to protest against Trump and to recruit support for their causes.

Anthony, an attendee, voiced his disdain for the GOP, stating, "I hate the Republican party, I’ll say that." He added, "Most of the people in the country aren't on your side, anti-human."

Calls for Revolution and Resistance

Ray, another protester, expressed his desire for significant political change. "Well, me, personally, I want the dictatorship of the proletariat. I want a socialist revolution," he said. While he didn't support the assassination attempt on Trump, he remarked, "I'm not shedding any tears over Trump, but I think the attack was a completely unprincipled attack."

Ray further explained, "We're just not in the conditions right now where that sort of assassination is going to work out." Lapis, another demonstrator, emphasized the broader goals of the protest. "We're out there with a lot of beautiful people resisting the fascism, resisting the horrors of this country, and we're here to say, No fascist Trump, no genocide, Joe, the whole damn system's got to go," they said.

Lapis continued, "So we're saying we need, and we demand, a revolution for a whole new way to live, a fundamentally different system, a real revolution to overthrow the system of capitalism, imperialism, and replace the US Constitution, with the Constitution for the new socialist republic in North America."

In relation to the recent incident at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania, Lapis stated, "We say that was wrong and we do not support or condone that. No further comment."

Julian, motivated to protest the RNC, criticized the Republican Party's recent direction. "My personal motivation for coming here is just to protest the RNC, in particular, how the Republican Party the past few years, the past half-decade," he said.

Criticism of Republican Values

"With former President Donald Trump, they've really thrown away their traditional values of American conservatism and just rallied behind a con man for their own political agenda," Julian added. He expressed hope that the demonstration would underscore the value of American democracy, saying, "I hope that this demonstration shows that people still think American democracy is worth fighting for."

Julian also condemned political violence, emphasizing, "Of course, political violence is never acceptable in any democratic society. That is not how we resolve our differences."

Support for Palestinian Rights

Liz, who joined the pro-Palestinian contingent, shared her reasons for participating. "We bussed out here to protest a lot of different policies that the Republicans have implied in the past in the rhetoric that they're pushing during this current campaign," she explained.

She highlighted the link between Republican rhetoric and broader issues, stating, "The white supremacist rhetoric that the Republican Party has long stood for is exactly what caused lots of things, including the war on Gaza. It's what causes incarceration of black and brown people."

Protesters distributed various materials, aiming to raise awareness and garner support for their causes. The 'March on RNC 2024' reflected the deep divisions and passionate opposition to the Republican platform among the diverse groups present.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee was met with significant protests from a variety of groups expressing their opposition to the Republican platform.

This protest occurred just days after an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, highlighting the tense political climate.

Despite the contrasting environment inside the convention, where attendees celebrated Trump's new vice-presidential pick, the protesters outside made their voices heard, calling for significant political change and resistance to what they perceived as the injustices perpetuated by the current system.