MILWAUKEE — Former President Donald Trump’s near-death Saturday did nothing to dampen the condemnation of the former president as a storm of protesters gathered outside the Republican National Convention.
Since the shootings, politicians from both ruling and opposition parties have pleaded with the country to ease political tensions, but many who took part in Monday’s protests had no intention of going easy on them.
“Turn the volume up. Let’s do it,” Richard Dunk, 20, of Waukesha, told The Post. “I’m so sad. I’m so disappointed in both candidates. We’re going to hell. We’re already in hell. So turn the volume up. Whatever they’re doing right now is obviously not working.”
Dank stressed that he wanted the protests to be peaceful but more ambitious: He was demonstrating in defense of democracy.
“If Trump had been removed that day, it might not have been the worst thing,” he boldly told the Post. “I can’t say whether it would have been better.”
Waving signs reading “Lock him up” and “Stop Trump and racist Republicans,” several dozen protesters gathered Monday at Red Arrow Park, just outside the security perimeter.
The Coalition for the Republican National Convention organized Monday’s Milwaukee demonstration with the support of a number of left-wing groups.
Most of the political signs and T-shirts were not directed at Trump but at specific causes: the Israel-Hamas war, immigration, lifting the blockade of Cuba, fighting for the poor and abortion.
“What happened on Saturday does not affect our plans in any way,” one protest leader told reporters.
“I think Republicans are experts in political violence,” another party leader said at a news conference.
One protester, who declined to give his name, held up a sign that read “Votes, not bullets,” proudly showing off the sign he had hidden behind a garbage bag.
He told The Washington Post he hopes hostility in the public debate will calm and worries that political violence could get out of control.
Despite their deep grievances against Trump, many protesters expressed sympathy for him surviving the attack.
“It’s really unfortunate that the president was injured and we’re glad he’s OK,” Peggy Haas, a member of the Wisconsin Cuban Coalition, told The Washington Post, “but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s not the right man for this job.”
She also said other friends and acquaintances had planned to attend the protests but decided not to “because of fears of gun violence, especially since Saturday.”
“I got a lot of messages saying, ‘Be careful, be careful,'” Haas added.
In one unique protest, the Democratic Messaging Project distributed condoms as part of an abortion rights initiative.
“We believe that if Trump and the MAGA Republicans are back in power, not only will there be no restrictions on abortion, but there will also be no restrictions on birth control,” Lisa Riddle, the group’s project director, told The Post.
“We’re distributing condoms on campuses to make sure kids and people are aware,” she added, explaining that the group plans to distribute condoms on campuses in battleground states.
Some of the condoms feature messages like “Protect your fucking freedom” and “Protect yourself from Republicans” and have barcodes that direct users to the group’s website.
The tactic is also intended to rally men in the anti-abortion fight.
Riddle said the assassination attempt on Trump was “deeply unfortunate,” but argued that the left needed to “fight even harder to make sure President Trump doesn’t get elected again.”
“We witnessed this heinous act of violence essentially as a symptom of the politics of one man, Donald Trump,” she added.
Tony Slock, 62, of Milwaukee, marched with a sign that read “Put him in jail,” directing a slogan about Hillary Clinton from a Trump rally at the Republican presidential nominee himself.
“He tried to overturn the election on January 6th by instigating protests, by insurrection, and I believe he should be held accountable for the actions he took that day,” Slok told The Post.
Slok condemned the shooting of President Trump over the weekend and expressed concern that Republicans will seek “revenge” on Democrats over the attack.
“This is not what America looks like. If we lose another president to an assassin, it will be a stain on America,” Slok said.
Slok lamented that once the dust has settled over the assassination attempt, the political debate will likely revert to “business as usual.”
Conservative protesters also stormed into Red Arrow Park, with one person heard yelling abuse at protesters chanting slogans against President Trump.
Another protester wore a shirt that read “Homosexuality is a sin” and held up a sign that read “BLM are racist thugs.”
Activists who identified themselves as members of a group called “Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising” carried signs accusing Trump of being a “baby killer” for supporting softer language on abortion in planned changes to the Republican platform.
As the demonstration began, protesters could be heard chanting, “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist America!”
Protests are expected to continue throughout the tournament this week, and security chiefs have previously indicated to reporters there were no plans to make any major changes to plans.
“We’re confident in our plan and we’re moving forward with it,” Audrey Gibson Cicchino, the Secret Service’s coordinator for the Republican National Convention, told reporters on Sunday.
