During the three-day event at which Donald Trump will officially be nominated for president by a party that has consistently opposed implementing gun safety measures, firearms will not be allowed near the convention area in downtown Milwaukee.
Open and concealed carry will be permitted up to within a few blocks of the event space, per Wisconsin state law; but weapons will be prohibited within the inner perimeter of the venue, according to the Secret Service, which laid out security plans at a news conference on Friday. The safety plan was put together by the Secret Service and local officials.
“Understandably, the presence of firearms around any kind of major event is going to make some people feel uncomfortable,” Nick DeSiato, chief of staff in the Milwaukee mayor’s office, told Axios.
The prohibition on firearms near and inside the convention area is noteworthy. Prominent Republicans — including Trump himself — have publicly opposed gun-free zones, even as they have banned firearms at their own events. Firearms were also prohibited at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. (It could hardly matter for Trump personally, as his own gun license is expected to be revoked as a consequence of his conviction, NBC News reported. It was temporarily suspended upon his arrest.)
The ACLU of Wisconsin, which accused the city of violating protesters’ First Amendment rights in a lawsuit earlier this month, criticized restrictions on the planned protests, which have been limited to a parade route beyond the outer perimeter of the space.
Conservatives have made a skewed interpretation of the Second Amendment a cornerstone of their party in recent years, loosening gun laws and stripping away some of the most basic firearm safety measures. Even in the wake of deadly mass shootings, GOP lawmakers have pushed for increased access to guns for the public and school staff.
More than 50,000 people are expected to attend the Republican convention this year, which will run July 15-18. It will be the first time in U.S. history that a major political party is expected to nominate a presidential candidate who’s been convicted of a crime.