A judge appointed by former President Donald Trump delivered a blow to a group planning to demonstrate at next week's Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee.
U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig on Tuesday ruled that the demonstrators cannot cross a "hard" security perimeter while protesting at the convention, according to Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel.
"The Coalition members have the right to march in protest of the RNC. Their right to do so lies at the heart of the First Amendment. But the First Amendment does not allow them to protest or parade in any way they choose," Ludwig wrote, according to the newspaper.
The Context
Republicans are set to nominate Trump next week, and many polls show the former president leading in a tight race against President Joe Biden. The GOP convention will be in Wisconsin, a crucial battleground state that could determine whether Trump or Biden returns to the White House next year.
What We Know
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of the Coalition to March. It argues that "Milwaukee's ordinances governing parade and protest activity directly violate the First Amendment by unlawfully limiting the locations where protesters can parade and exercise their right to free speech during the RNC."
In a press release announcing the suit, the ACLU wrote: "The ordinance in question limits the coalition and other demonstrators to marching on an undisclosed parade route somewhere in a 90-square-block area around Fiserv Forum. Although the city claimed that it would provide a route within 'sight and sound' of RNC venues, it has failed to identify any route whatsoever to date."
Ludwig, however, ruled that the city and U.S. Secret Service showed that they demonstrated the protesters had a right to protest with "legitimate security and other governmental interests," the Journal Sentinel reported.
Ludwig serves as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He was appointed by Trump in 2020. His nomination was approved by the Senate with bipartisan support. Only five Democrats—Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon—voted against him.
Views
The ACLU responded to the ruling in a statement on Tuesday.
"We are disappointed by today's ruling and the lack of an authorized parade route within sight and sound of the convention," it said.
"We still believe that the City's failure to act concerning our client's permit application, its delay in establishing a protest zone and a parade route until weeks before the convention, and its decision to push protesters even further away from the convention site with the expansion of the credentialed zone chill freedom of expression and restrict the exercise of First Amendment rights," wrote Timothy Muth, staff attorney for the ACLU of Wisconsin.
Newsweek reached out by email to the ACLU for further comment.
What's Next
The convention is set to begin next Monday. Meanwhile, the Democratic National Convention will start on August 19.
Updates 7/9/24, 10:12 and 10:48 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information and background.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
