CLEVELAND — The fatal shooting of three police officers in Louisiana added new concerns Sunday about security at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Huge crowds were expected to protest and the city police chief prepared officers to deal with the open carrying of weapons as allowed by state law.
Hundreds of people gathered Sunday at a peaceful rally along a major bridge near downtown Cleveland (above). The “Circle the City With Love” event began with a Dixieland-style band leading participants onto the bridge on Sunday afternoon.
Republican Gov. John Kasich rebuffed a request by the head of the Cleveland police union to suspend that law during the convention, saying he doesn’t have the authority to “arbitrarily” alter laws and constitutional rights.
Kasich, who has pushed programs to heal rifts between communities and police after several fatal police shootings, said those bonds must be “reset and rebuilt.” “Everyone has an important role to play in that renewal,” said Kasich, who called law enforcement “a noble, essential calling.”
The Donald Trump campaign says that it wants the convention to help “America to understand who Donald Trump the man is, not just Donald Trump the candidate.”
But the first act today will likely underline how divisive Trump has been.
Trump’s opponents want to change a rule that requires delegates to vote for the candidate to whom they were committed after state primaries and caucuses.
The theme of the convention’s opening day is “Make America Safe Again.” Speakers include Trump’s wife Melania Trump, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, actor Scott Baio and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton will try to grab a share of the spotlight by addressing the NAACP national convention in Cincinnati and opening campaign offices in Columbus, Newark and other Ohio cities today.