WATERTOWN, Wis. — The list of protesting individuals and organizations signed up to take part in a parade or speaker platform during next week’s Republican National Convention includes the “Chinese Communist Party” and “Former President, Donald J. Trump” — as the city of Milwaukee approved everyone who applied, without vetting or checking identities.
Trump’s contact person is listed as “Joe Biden,” and the CCP’s address is “Beijing, China.”
The CCP would like to be in both a parade and a speaker platform every day of the convention in the early afternoon if the entry is to be believed.
Registrants had to indicate their full name, whether they were signing up as an individual or group, their address and contact person and, if they wanted to take part in the parade and/or speaker platform, their preferred days and times to speak.
They also had to list whether they’d been convicted of a felony in the past seven years, agree to abide by demonstration regulations and affirm the truth of their statements.
The entry claiming to be Donald J. Trump was the only one that checked the box “I do not agree” to abide by demonstration regulations.
Only one of the 140 entries, a Maria Perez, answered “Yes” to the felony question, which asked in part: “Within the last 7 years, have you, or any person in your group or organization, been convicted of engaging in violent or destructive conduct in connection with a pervious [sic] parade or other public as [remainder unavailable].”
Perez did not give an organization or address.
The Post previously reported that RNC protest groups are holding a “bail-bond benefit” for “freedom fighters” this Sunday, the day before the event begins.
Group registrants did not have to indicate the number of people who would be involved in the parade — and were not given any limits.
Asked whether the city knows if the CCP registration is legitimate, Jeff Flemming, director of communications and public engagement at the Milwaukee mayor’s office, told The Post, “We have asked no questions of the applicants, and no one has been denied.”
Flemming also confirmed the city did not ask for the number of people participating in the parade entries and has no size estimates for the protests: “Our team has no ability to determine the size of the demonstrations from the sign up.”
A Milwaukee CBS reporter is on the list — perhaps testing how the application and approval process worked.
There are also Republican groups on the list, with some saying they plan to counterprotest the protesters.
The Milwaukee Police Department released its Rules of Engagement Friday, which include the use of pepper spray, tear gas, mass arrests, deadly force, chemical riot-control agents and impact munitions.
The police chief’s authorization is required for large-scale use of chemical riot-control agents and impact munitions.
