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.