For those who weren’t at the Republican National Convention, the first day of the week-long event passed without incident, although hundreds of people quietly protested and business at local bars and restaurants was slower than expected.
Despite the sweltering heat, many were pleased or relieved by the relative calm of the day outside the convention site.
At Village Church, a few blocks east of Fiserv Forum, lifelong Milwaukee resident and church member Bill Cohen, 73, said safety was a major topic of conversation at his church’s Sunday service.
Cohn said he’s “in favor” of the convention coming to Milwaukee because of the expected economic benefits and how it would highlight the city “in a way that rarely happens.”
But many nearby stores saw lower-than-expected customer numbers on Monday, and many employees said they were hopeful traffic would pick up as the week progressed.
Heather Jordan, a delegate from Florida, flew to Milwaukee yesterday, and although attendees are still getting used to traffic, parking and security, she said they’re in high spirits.
“There’s increased security now, which I personally welcome,” Jordan said.
Despite some violent moments, the protest area was relatively quiet.
Two protest areas designated for the rally were mostly quiet throughout the day, despite a few tense moments between protesters and counter-protesters.
Zeidler Union Square, one of two designated protest areas in the city, was deserted for much of Monday except for a few dozen security guards.
In the afternoon, a security guard said there were more dog walkers than protesters. Earlier in the day, a small group of about 15 people had been in the park.
Around 500 people protested that day in opposition to the Republican Party platform, advocating for issues including LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, abortion rights and opposition to the Israeli-Hamas war.
The number of protesters who marched on the Republican National Convention was about one-fifth to one-tenth of what organizers had initially anticipated.
By daybreak, few protesters remained near the convention site. Around 10 p.m., as convention attendees were leaving the secured area, about a half-dozen members of the anti-abortion group Live Action stood chanting slogans at the corner of West Juneau Avenue and North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Anastasia Rogers, 31, of San Francisco, said the group was planning to leave Milwaukee on Tuesday.
“I wanted to be here because I knew today was the day decisions would be made about the new platform,” she said.
Restaurants and bars mainly reported sluggish sales.
As evening approached, streets along the Riverwalk and Broadway Avenue in the Third Ward were mostly quiet.
Some nearby businesses said they had hoped the convention would boost sales, but that hasn’t happened yet. Employees at several restaurants said a variety of factors besides the Republican National Convention could have contributed to the decline in customer numbers, including the early hours of the week, humidity and rain.
A staff member at Café Benelux said customer numbers were “significantly” lower than a normal Monday evening.
At the Milwaukee Public Market, most of the tiki bar seats were filled, and employees said the crowds were expected.
City Social employee Jeroni Woolard also said it was business as usual for a Monday, though he said he expected an uptick in sales but stressed it was only day one.
Wicked Hop manager Dominic Reid said business was “significantly” slower than usual.
“We’ll just have to wait and watch,” he said.
