Decision not to issue permit largely based on potential cost to organizers, says police spokesperson
The city of Dallas has decided not to issue a permit for a planned protest near the Republican Midterm Convention next week.
A coalition of Democratic groups led by Indivisible Dallas and We The People announced plans last month to protest at the RNC Midterm Convention set for Sept. 9-10 at American Airlines Center, where President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are slated to speak.
Organized by the Dallas Against the Trump Agenda (DATA) Coalition, the protest was slated to coincide with the arrival of what officials say could be as many as 20,000 visitors to the downtown Dallas area for the convention. The march is planned for 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 10 at Pike Park, according to the Dallas Express.
Estimated to cost over $1.8 million, security measures for the event include plans to shut down streets directly surrounding the American Airlines Center, along with temporarily closing a nearby DART light rail station.
A Dallas Police Department spokeswoman told The Christian Post on Wednesday that both Dallas PD and the city’s Office of Special Events “felt it was best for the organizers to not obtain a permit and work directly with DPD for a quicker process.”
Allison Hudson, Dallas PD assistant director for the Office of Media Relations and Community Affairs, said the decision was made largely because event organizers are responsible for paying the cost for off-duty officers and any other associated costs.
“We felt this would be a better option to bypass the permit process and help the organizers directly,” said Hudson.
Protest organizers have reportedly vowed to march even without a permit, according to a statement from the DATA Coalition circulated by Fight Back News.
Indivisible Dallas, which has an event page on its website promoting the protest, hosted a virtual forum for Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico, who is running against Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton for the seat held by Sen. John Cornyn. Paxton edged out Cornyn in the Republican primary in March.
An event page for the Jan. 15 “Meet the Candidate With James Talarico” event features the Invisible Dallas logo alongside an image of Talarico.
However, there was no indication on the Invisible Dallas website or any of its promotional materials that the Talarico campaign has endorsed the planned RNC Midterm Convention protest.
CP reached out to Talarico’s campaign on Wednesday for comment but has not received a response.
While it’s still not clear how many people will turn out for the RNC Midterm Convention, first lady Melania Trump has been added to the “potential speakers” list on the event’s website, alongside other cabinet-level officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and border czar Tom Homan.
The convention will be held just two months before midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term.
Political parties typically hold national conventions during presidential election years. This is the first-ever Republican midterm convention.
Envisioning the occasion as a “truly Historic Event,” the convention is expected to highlight Trump’s political accomplishments and feature “hardworking Americans, our Great Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Manufacturers, First Responders, and Job Creators who are powering our Nation’s Golden Age, and proving that America’s best days are still ahead of us,” the president wrote in a June 30 Truth Social post.
“BIG NEWS! For the first time ever, the Republican Party will hold a MIDTERM CONVENTION. It will be in Dallas, Texas — One of my favorite places in the World. It will be fantastic! … We are going to celebrate the GREAT AMERICAN COMEBACK, and the incredible successes of the American People who transformed our Country through the America First Agenda — NO TAX ON TIPS, NO TAX ON OVERTIME, NO TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY, STRONGER BORDERS, SAFEST EVER COMMUNITIES, LOWER COSTS AND REAL AFFORDABILITY, MORE JOBS, AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE, AND SO MUCH MORE!”
Ian M. Giatti is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected].
