Cleveland Is A Preview Of What Donald Trump's America Could Look Like
A group of protesters converged in Public Square in Cleveland, Ohio, outside of the Republican National Convention.
They were all there for different causes, their anger derived from different beliefs. But they were together demonstrating their resentment outside of Donald Trump's convention.
We know by now that people are angry. Trump has done an excellent job bringing that conversation to the forefront. He speaks to the indignation of middle and lower class white people who feel they have been under-served.
But in creating that message, Trump upset others. He spread Islamophobic, racist messages (along with standing for an anti-LGBTQ+ platform and making misogynistic comments). People are offended by this -- and they're angry, too.
And now they're all angry here together in Cleveland.
There have been protests throughout the city this week. People come from various ideologies. There are people out there protesting Trump, representing Muslim, LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities along with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Then there are also counter-protesters, including some who are open carrying firearms. Westboro Baptist Church is out there, along with anti-abortion and anti-porn groups and Christians shouting through a microphone about how everyone is going to hell.
The various groups began shouting at each other in Public Square on Tuesday afternoon. The shouts became increasingly heated.
The Cleveland police chief walked around the square, mediating squabbles where he saw them and bowing his head with some protesters in prayer.
But apparently something happened to trigger a larger police response. The police cleared the square and occupied it themselves.
They created a perimeter around the center of the square and did not allow any non-law enforcement members to enter.
Police from many states are patrolling in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention, but this particular movement mostly included police from various parts of Ohio.
The police held control of Public Square for about an hour. It worked in lightening the tensions. When a group of protesters left, the police disassembled and followed them out.
No arrests were made as the police worked to keep the peace and the protesters complied. But there are still two days left in the RNC, three months in the election and potentially four years of a Trump America driven by anger.
