Dallas activists say they’re ‘not scared’ as security questions remain for Republican convention

Dallas activists plan to protest the upcoming Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center in September; however, uncertainty over security measures remains.

The Republican National Committee is planning to host an unprecedented midterm convention on Sept. 9 and 10 in Dallas ahead of what is expected to be a competitive election season, including a contested Senate race in Texas. Plans were first announced in late June by President Donald Trump, whose approval ratings have plummeted amid an ongoing war in the Middle East and continued economic concerns.

Demonstrations have already been planned for the second day of the convention, and groups began mobilizing soon after the announcement, organizers told the Observer. The march will begin at Pike Park just north of the arena, where activists plan to host speakers and vocalize opposition to the GOP and Trump’s policies. But first, they need to iron out a few things with the city.

The Dallas Police Department, one of a few city agencies not expected to make significant cuts as the city faces a difficult budget season, expects to spend $1.8 million on security for the event, staff told council members at Monday’s meeting of the council’s Finance Committee. Transportation and Public Works are looking at an expected budget of up to $14,000, although council members were told that both figures are constantly evolving. 

Totals from Dallas-Fire Rescue and other departments are up in the air. Reimbursements and grants from federal and state partners are also unclear, but will be discussed further in the run-up to the convention, staff told the committee.

“As the chair of the Committee on Government Efficiency, we’re in a deficit budget,” Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Maxie Johnson said during the meeting. “And I don’t care if it costs $10, we shouldn’t be funding anything or fronting any kind of money.”

With high-level federal officials, including Trump, expected to attend, the security considerations are considerable and subject to change. The Secret Service will lead security preparations, and Office of Emergency Management and Crisis Response Director Kevin Ogden told council members he couldn’t provide more information on staffing deployments or security zones. The RNC has said it expects 20,000 people to attend the event.

‘Eyes of the nation on Dallas’

Xavier Velasquez, an organizer with the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression’s Dallas-Fort Worth chapter, said the protest was an obvious course of action once plans for the convention were announced.

“If they want to come here and have the eyes of the nation on Dallas, then we’re more than willing to take advantage of that and let them know just how unpopular they are here in Dallas,” Velasquez said.

Under the Dallas City Code, a special event permit is generally required for any outdoor procession of more than 100 people that features signage in the public right-of-way. Activists have applied for a permit and have had multiple conversations with city and police officials about the route details, he said.

The process has been “moving at a glacial pace,” Velasquez said, adding that officials have already nixed the original route proposed by organizers.

“This thing is two weeks away at this point,” Velasquez said. “We really need to be getting some kind of stuff going here to finalize this March route.”

A city spokesperson said questions about the permitting process would be answered at a joint press conference with the police department on Thursday. Corbin Rubinson, a DPD spokesperson, recently told The Dallas Morning News a decision will be made on event applications once security plans are finalized.

Organizers also had trouble with a press conference at City Hall Plaza on Saturday, Velasquez said. Gatherings at the plaza also require a special event permit, although the city’s website seems to indicate the permit is required for gatherings of 100 or more. That is what made police officers’ orders for them to leave the public space, based on the absence of a First Amendment or special event permit, confusing, Velasquez said.

“It was literally like 25 people gathering to talk to the press, and that’s including the people that were there from the press,” he said. “It’s about 25-30 people, and so they were trying to say we needed to have a permit… It really doesn’t make sense that they were chasing us off property.”

A spokesperson for DPD did not answer questions about Saturday’s events or security plans for the protest, saying those details would be announced at the press conference.

Jo Hargis, an organizer with the DFW Anti-War Committee, called the delays with the city “unfortunate” and said she has limited confidence in the department to protect protesters from right-wing activists.

“We’re going to be proceeding whether or not we’re able to come to an agreement with them,” Hargis said. “But we have our own safety plan to try and de-escalate if things need de-escalating.”

Hargis was one of the main organizers at a protest against Trump’s war at a downtown park in April. During a call to prayer, a 58-year-old man wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat repeatedly brandished a stun gun close to protesters. A safety team separated the crowd from the man, and Hargis said she used a microphone to caution protesters. Police eventually intervened and arrested the man, who was charged with three counts of deadly conduct and one count of resisting arrest.

“We rely on ourselves to keep us safe because we really have no reason to expect police to intervene if someone on the far right attacks our event, or attempts to stop us exercising our rights,” she said.

In the run-up to the convention, organizers have held protest trainings. The sessions involve presentations on de-escalation, first aid and legal observer training, said Rick Majumdar, one of the main organizers with the Dallas Against Trump Agenda coalition. He said a public art day has also been planned for Labor Day.

“Whether we receive a permit or not, we will march, and it will be a family-friendly march,” Majumdar said. “People of all ages, nationalities, and genders can come from the city.”

Federal presence expected

At Monday’s Finance Committee Meeting, staff told council members that similar events require collaboration with “federal partners and outside agencies.” The Secret Service Dallas Field Office has also confirmed in social media posts that it is “working hand in hand with our federal, state, and local partners to support a safe and secure event for our protectees, attendees, businesses, and community” during the convention.

A spokesperson for the Secret Service, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, said the large-scale events require a “joint effort,” but did not specify which federal agencies will be involved in the convention’s security apparatus in a statement.

“No one federal, state, or local agency alone can carry out the measures necessary to secure an event of this size,” the spokesperson said. “The expertise of each participating law enforcement and public safety partners critical to the success of the operational security plan. The Secret Service and its partners will have a variety of assets working together to support the event, including investigative, analytical, and technical capabilities.”

According to prior reporting by The Dallas Morning News, the FBI will play a role in convention security. Past national conventions in the run-up to presidential elections have involved multiple DHS agencies and offices, including the Coast Guard, TSA, Health Affairs, Domestic Nuclear Detection, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), according to the DHS website. It remains unclear whether the first-of-its-kind midterm convention will receive the same treatment, although more information is expected Thursday.

In 2020, CBP reported to Congress that 16 teams were deployed in response to “nationwide civil unrest and protests in May and June” in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Advocacy groups like the American Immigration Council have raised concerns about the training of CBP officers in responding to protests and their use of force during 2020 protests. At the time, The Washington Post reported that multiple protesters said they had been detained in unmarked vans by federal agents in Portland.

DHS has also drawn scrutiny for its response to protests in Trump’s second term amid a rapid proliferation in immigration enforcement and funding. In January, federal immigration enforcement officers shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Both incidents were captured on video and drew widespread outrage across the nation, which manifested in protests and bipartisan scrutiny of DHS practices during congressional hearings. The “commander at large” of CPB was subsequently removed from his position, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was fired in March.

Because of recent controversies, Hargis said she does not think federal agents will actively try to interfere with protests, though she added, “I have no reason to believe that they’re going to respect people’s rights.”

“They’re now coming out with these shock gloves and specifically saying that it’s because they look better on video,” she said. “I don’t think they want to be on video repressing this protest. So I have no faith in them, but I also think they want to avoid another embarrassing incident.”

Majumdar said the protest will be peaceful and that he expects a large number of people to attend from across the state.

“We know our First Amendment right to protest and march, and we will do it,” he said. “These safety parameters, we will try to adhere to them as best as possible. But we’re not scared of any federal agency.”