MILWAUKEE — Protesters plan to hold multiple demonstrations on Wednesday in response to the first Republican presidential candidate debate at Fiserv Forum.
"We plan on marching within sight, and sound of where the Republicans will be gathered with or without a permit. We plan on this being a family-friendly protest," Omar Flores said.
Flores is co-chair of the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024. The coalition plans to walk from Red Arrow Park to Fiserv Forum in protest of the GOP's stance on everything from labor rights to civil rights.
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"People in Milwaukee are concerned for the well-being in the presence of people who have dedicated massive amounts of time and money into hurting them," Flores said.
Flores stated that since they were swiftly denied a permit for next summer they did not request a permit for Wednesday's march.
Milwaukee city officials say despite ads promoting demonstrations, no permits have been filed.
"The attention on this time and place and conversation allows other people who don't have the same level of visibility as some of these candidates to speak out and have their voices heard," Reverend Jonah Overton, lead pastor at Zao MKE Church said.
In a separate event Wednesday, Zao MKE Church on Milwaukee's east side and other faith leaders plan to publicly denounce the GOP's stance on reproductive rights.
"You know there are a lot of politicians that are very quick to invoke religious ideology, or in particular Christian beliefs, to defend their actions that I, as a Christian pastor, find reprehensible," Rev. Overton said.
Reverend Jonathan Barker, at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha, is also organizing a protest to pressure Republicans to act on what he calls the climate emergency.
In 2020, Grace Lutheran Church hosted then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
"We have a simple ask. We're hoping that the moderators will ask the candidates on the stage what is their plan to act on climate," Reverend Jonathan Barker said.
In an email, the Milwaukee Police Department said it is working with federal partners to ensure a safe Republican debate. The department declined to comment further on plans citing security reasons.
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