The Milwaukee Municipal Court will close its on-site operations from July 12 to July 18 because of the Republican National Convention. (NNS file photo)
By Edgar Mendez
This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org.
The U.S. Secret Service has established a security zone for the Republican National Convention, which will limit access to downtown and impact some city services for Milwaukee residents.
This includes the Milwaukee Municipal Court, 951 N. James Lovell St.
“Given that the court is inside the security zone, on-site operations will be closed July 12 through 19,” Tea B. Norfolk, chief court administrator for Milwaukee Municipal Court, wrote in an email to NNS.
Norfolk said the court would be available via phone and email during that time and that payments can be made over the phone or online, but that no hearings would be conducted.
The security zone includes a pedestrian-restricted perimeter or hard zone, vehicle screening perimeter, maritime restrictions and other measures that begin on July 14 and July 15 and will continue until the RNC concludes on July 18.
The U.S. Secret Service established this security zone in downtown Milwaukee for the RNC, July 15-18, although some measures will begin on July 14. (Image provided by the U.S. Secret Service)
MATC’s downtown campus to close
Located within the RNC security zone is Milwaukee Area Technical College’s downtown campus. The downtown campus will be closed July 13-20 for classes and services to students, according to Darryll Fortune, director of content and public relations for the school.
“The college anticipates heavy traffic, closed streets and heightened security around the campus,” Fortune said in an email. All other MATC locations will remain open.
Fortune said that downtown campus students will take classes online or at other campuses during that time, and that staff will also work remotely or at other campuses.
Nonprofits also impacted
Community Advocates, 728 N. James Lovell St., will be closed for in-person services from July 15-18, said Andi Elliot, the organization’s CEO.
“We’ll still be available to our clients similar to when we were in the pandemic with phone and email support,” Elliot said. “We all learned so much during the pandemic so when we need to especially, in an emergency situation, we’re still able to serve our clients.”
“We’re going to be working remotely because our parking garage is squarely within the security buffer,” added Colleen Foley, the executive director of Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee.
She said the restrictions would make it nearly impossible for Legal Aid Society employees to access its building.
Milwaukee Turners, the city’s oldest civic education and engagement group, is closing its gymnasium and pausing rock climbing and gymnastics classes during the RNC, which will be held from July 15 to July18.
Milwaukee Turners will move other operations to its partner organization, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, 3624 W. North Ave., and the Turners’ office space at 1109 W. Mitchell St.
Its main headquarters, Turner Hall, 1040 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave., located within the RNC security hard zone, is being rented out to a national media outlet, said Emilio De Torre, executive director of the Milwaukee Turners.
“We’ll also be onsite to make sure everything goes well,” De Torre said.
De Torre said his staff went through a stringent security process to be able to remain at Turner Hall, which is located within the hard zone.
In addition, he said, security measures such as installing shatterproof film on the windows, have been put into place.
The RNC Security Zone stretches across an area that includes Fiserv Forum, Panther Arena, Baird Center, Pere Marquette Park and Milwaukee Area Technical College.
Pedestrians are able to enter the vehicle screening perimeter without being screened, but vehicles will have to go through security checkpoints.
The pedestrian-restricted area will only be accessible to credentialed or ticketed individuals. All pedestrians will be screened before entering the area.
Coalition plans march, upset about restrictions
The Coalition to March on the RNC, which includes local and national grassroots organizations, in a written statement, called the zones unjust and part of an effort to shut down protests.
“The Coalition … refuses to be intimidated and continues to center the safety and rights of Milwaukee residents in their plans to march on the RNC,” said Omar Flores, the coalition’s co-chair, in a written statement.
In June, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee on behalf of the coalition for restricting the rights of protesters during the Republican National Convention. A U.S. District judge ruled against that lawsuit on July 8, saying that protesters do not have the right to march through the security zone.
Law enforcement and city officials have also established two protest zones near the perimeter of the security zone, at Zeidler Union Square and Haymarket Square Park.
The Coalition to March on the RNC had pushed the city to allow protests at Pere Marquette Park, 900 N. Plankinton Ave., which would have been much closer to the key RNC events, but the park was included in the pedestrian-restrictive hard zone.
The group is organizing a rally and march on July 15 at Red Arrow Park, 920 N. Water St.
For more information
The RNC will be in the city soon. Here is what you need to know
Do you have questions about the RNC? We got you!
We’re less than a week away from the Republican National Convention coming to Milwaukee. Wisconsin Watch will be covering the event as part of Wisconsin Media Row, the first ever space for local media at a national convention. What exactly will we be covering? That’s where you come in! We want you to share with us your questions about what’s going on inside the RNC. Have a question for a specific attendee? Curious about the sights and sounds inside the security perimeter? Hear something that you want fact checked?
Send your questions to statehouse@wisconsinwatch.org with the subject line RNC.