MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Police Department says the Republican debate in the city's downtown area "occurred without incident."
The police department said in a statement Thursday that officers made a total of one arrest Wednesday night in the Deer District. The GOP debate was held inside Fiserv Forum. Officers arrested the person for disorderly conduct.
The department noted protests happened during the debate and that they were peaceful. According to their statement, "A number of protests occurred during the event and we are grateful for all those who organized and participated in these protests and ensured they occurred peacefully, without causing harm to our City or others. MPD respects the rights of anyone who wishes to express their opinion. We serve all residents and visitors of Milwaukee."
Read their full statement below:
Milwaukee Police Department Post-RNC Debate Brief
MILWAUKEE, WI – On August 23, 2023, the RNC Debate occurred at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) does not have a political affiliation, but as with any major event, was tasked with ensuring community safety for the residents and visitors of our City.
MPD is pleased to report that the event occurred without incident. MPD made a total of one (1) arrest for disorderly conduct. MPD publicly expresses our gratitude for the men and women of our Department, both civilian and sworn, who planned and worked to ensure community safety in our City.
MPD extends our gratitude to our public safety partners including the Milwaukee Fire Department, the Office of Emergency Management, the Office of Violence Prevention, federal law enforcement, and other agencies who worked with us to keep Milwaukee safe.
In addition, MPD publicly expresses our gratitude for the community that we serve. A number of protests occurred during the event and we are grateful for all those who organized and participated in these protests and ensured they occurred peacefully, without causing harm to our City or others. MPD respects the rights of anyone who wishes to express their opinion. We serve all residents and visitors of Milwaukee.
Republican candidates fight each other, and mostly line up behind Trump, at the first debate
The Republican presidential candidates vying to be the leading alternative to front-runner Donald Trump fought — sometimes bitterly — over abortion rights, U.S. support for Ukraine and the type of experience needed to manage an expansive federal government during the first debate of the 2024 campaign.
But when it came to arguably the most consequential choice facing the party, virtually everyone on the debate stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night lined up behind Trump, who declined to participate, citing his commanding lead. Most said they would support Trump as their nominee even if he is convicted in a series of cases that range from his handling of classified documents to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his role in making hush money payments to a porn actress and other women, The Associated Press reports.
