Cleveland Police Prepare for Anarchists, Separatists and Anti-Trump Protesters at RNC
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams says it seems “everyone is coming” to the city to exercise their First Amendment rights.
The Republican National Convention starts Monday, and Williams said in a Sunday appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation” he expects groups of all stripes to be vocal throughout the four-day convention when reality TV star and businessman Donald Trump presumably will be named the party’s nominee for president.
Over 300 officers from other jurisdictions are sworn in to have police powers in Cleveland, as preparations are made for the Republican National Convention, Saturday, July 16, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Williams says he’s hearing that anarchists, separatists, anti-Trump protesters, “everyone is coming to Cleveland to protest or exercise their First Amendment rights.”
He acknowledged Ohio’s open-carry gun law in assuring his force is committed to public safety, and said scenarios like the recent slayings of five Dallas police officers had already been included in police preparations.
