It was a smaller crowd than anticipated, but the Coalition of March on the RNC did indeed cross into the soft security perimeter and got within a block of the Fiserv Forum today. Ironically, they were met by Pro-Life activists, but there were no signs of any physical confrontations.
Over the last several months, thousands of individuals from across the country have been busy organizing mass demonstrations to coincide with with the RNC in Milwaukee. Many, however, posted online, but did not show up. Event organizers said approximately 3,000 protesters marched, far fewer than the 5,000 that organizers had hoped would participate.
Dozens of Palestinian flags were displayed throughout the march, and, by far, the loudest chants were in opposition to Israel.
“From Palestine to Mexico, All these Borders Have to Go.”
“From Palestine to the USA, Revolution is the Way!”
Perhaps the most disturbing chant: “We don’t want no Jewish State, We want 1948!” [Editor’s note: Some observers claim the chant was “We don’t want no two state–We want 1948!”]
The organizers included the Party of Communists USA and The American Party of Labor, which bills itself as “a revolutionary working class organization in the United States.”
Joining those revolutionaries in organizing the protests were members of the following organizations: Code Pink, Baltimore Peace Action, Colorado Palestine Coalition, Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, International League of Peoples Struggle, Legalization for All Network, Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC), Minnesota Anti-War Committee, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression – Atlanta, Dallas and Tampa chapters, New Orleans Artists for Palestine, New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP), New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Port (NOSHIP), San Jose Against War, Silicon Valley Immigration Committee, Starbucks Workers United, Tucson Anti-War Committee, Women Against Military Madness, and the Grand Valley State University chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America.
While online forums had indicated the marches would take place throughout the duration of the RNC in Milwaukee, organizers on Monday said today was their only planned march.
The organizers of this march reached a ‘handshake’ agreement with city officials and Milwaukee Police to cross over the soft security perimeter and get within a block of the Fiserv Forum, site of the Republican National Convention. They paused their march and held a brief rally, before dispersing back to the marches’ starting point.
