MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Local groups in Milwaukee are raising concerns about the rules for demonstrating outside the Republican National Convention, less than a week after the rules were finalized.
The Coalition to March on the RNC held a press conference on Monday, March 25 calling for changes to the permit issuance process, which currently operates on a first-come-first-serve basis.
According to Omar Flores, co-chair of the Coalition, this method poses multiple risks.
Flores said, "Mayor Johnson and the RNC Committee are creating a dangerous situation where protestors could be antagonized by police for not following the flood permit process. The process also puts us at risk and lumped in a protest pen with right wing extremists due to the city only giving us a 15-minute slot to speak on the day we had asked."
Despite these concerns, city officials have assured that designated protest areas will be within sight and sound of the RNC, though specific locations are still under consideration.