A group planning to protest President Donald Trump’s Republican convention in Dallas says it is preparing for a Sept. 10 demonstration even as key details remain unsettled with police.
The Dallas Against the Trump Agenda coalition has scheduled a news conference Saturday afternoon at City Hall to build support for the protest as organizers continue trying to work out a permit, march route and assembly site with city officials.
“We would like to come to an agreement with the city that respects our rights,” said Jo Hargis, one of the coalition organizers, adding they plan to “exert our rights one way or another.”
Trump and other Republicans arrive in less than three weeks, leaving Dallas to balance extensive security with demonstrators’ demands to be seen and heard.
The coalition has been seeking a special event permit for its demonstration, lining up legal support and arranging safety training in advance of the Sept. 9-10 political showcase at American Airlines Center.
Republicans expect the event to draw 20,000 people and national media attention as they promote Trump’s agenda and the party’s candidates before the November elections.
The coalition includes the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression DFW, the DFW Anti-War Committee, El Movimiento and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
Xavier Velasquez of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression DFW said the group has met with staff from the city’s Office of Special Events to discuss its permit application.
Security plans for the convention are still being finalized. After that, police can decide on applications for events around the convention, said department spokesperson Corbin Rubinson.
Velasquez said the city told organizers Friday that it expects to know more soon about the coalition’s permit request. The group is seeking an agreement on where protesters can march and how close they can get to the arena.
He said he would like to see the talks move faster. “I haven’t seen any actual intentional ‘OK, we’re not working with you’ so far. … But, you know, who’s to say?” he said.
Hargis, of the DFW Anti-War Committee, pointed to previous Republican nominating conventions as precedent for allowing protesters to assemble near the venue.
The coalition opposes the war with Iran and a range of Trump policies. It wants to stage a protest Sept. 10 at Pike Park, just north of downtown, and then march to American Airlines Center.
Federal and local authorities have been preparing for crowds, traffic disruptions and restricted access around the arena.
The Secret Service told The Dallas Morning News that authorities had developed a “coordinated security plan” intended to protect attendees and the public while accommodating lawful protest.
Dallas police said officers regularly train in crowd control and protest management but declined to disclose staffing or outside-agency support for the convention.