Inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tropical Storm Isaac reduced the first day's program for the Republican National Convention down to a 30-second introduction.

But there was still a full day of free-speech activity on the streets of Tampa. The storm may have diminished the size of the protests – busses dropping off out-of-town protesters from across the state and region wouldn’t drive into a tropical storm warning zone – there were nevertheless hundreds of protesters on the streets braving the wet to exercise their First Amendment rights.

 

After a quick morning conference call with our state headquarters in Miami, we headed out to our mobile resource center along the official parade route for the “March on the RNC,” a large rally and march scheduled for midday. Although their numbers were less than expected (event organizers had expected as many as 5,000, but they ended up with somewhere around 700-800), the crowd was nevertheless very vocal and welcoming of the ACLU of Florida and took hundreds of copies of our First Amendment Toolkit.

When the march arrived at the public viewing area, where police far outnumbered the protesters, a small group led an un-permitted march back up along the parade route. Police initially held them back, but ultimately relented and let them head back along the route which they came.

Following the March on the RNC, our staff headed up to “Romneyville,” delivering our toolkit to religious and medical policy groups we encountered on the way. Romneyville is the “Occupy”-style encampment on the north end of downtown. They were planning an unpermitted march through downtown, and we distributed materials to the attendees and answered questions about protesters' rights before the march started.

Though our staff left before the march got underway, we heard from people who were present that the police in riot gear allowed them to march unpermitted for a few blocks and then ultimately stopped them. Protesters sat down locking arms, preparing for arrests, but a Tampa police official kneeled down and spoke with demonstrators at the front, explaining that the sidewalks were open. The crowd dispersed with no arrests.

Monday evening, I was given press credentials to go inside the convention center to talk to reporters about protesters’ rights and security. If the police presence around the protest areas was large, it was nothing like the security apparatus around the convention center and arena.

But in spite of the sheer numbers of police, the relationship of mutual respect that police and city officials worked to sustain with protest groups throughout the planning process and at our First Amendment forums seems to have held up during the first day of the convention. And as of Monday, there were only two arrests in Tampa related to the RNC.

But the ACLU has seen seemingly neutral security laws spiral out of control at these conventions in years past, which is why we started a national petition to the mayors of Tampa and Charlotte asking them to protect free speech. We’ll continue to make sure that people’s free speech rights are being respected and protected and celebrate free speech at the RNC.

(Note: Images or descriptions of protests during the Republican National Convention do not represent an ACLU of Florida endorsement of the individual, organization or message. The ACLU of Florida is in Tampa to promote the First Amendment rights of all groups.)

Today was my first full day in Tampa for the Republican National Convention, but the time I spent with other ACLU staff distributing our First Amendment Toolkit to coalition groups and organizing volunteers was hardly the first day that I or the rest of the ACLU of Florida has been working on the RNC. In the past year, we've had forums with city and police officials and First Amendment experts (note: by watching video of the First Amendment Forum, Google and Youtube will put a permanent cookie on your computer), we've developed resources for protesters - we've worked hard to make sure that everyone's rights are respected and protected during the convention. This weekend  marks the transition from that year-long preparation phase to the work of promoting and celebrating free speech on the streets of Tampa.

Yesterday, just before the roads around the arena were closed for the week, our staff placed a rented vehicle full of ACLU materials and "Know Your Rights" resources at a spot along the official parade route to serve as our resource center inside the event zone.

Our spot, just four blocks from the arena, puts us right in the middle of where many protests will take place, so we can serve as a convenient resource for people seeking information about their rights as protesters, what some of the limitations are on protests during the RNC and what to do if stopped by police throughout the week.

For now though, we wait. Tropical storm Isaac has thrown a curveball at everyone whose work involves the RNC, from the convention planners, to city officials, to protest groups and organizations like the ACLU of Florida who work to protect their rights. The first day of the official convention schedule has been reduced to a quick pro forma meeting, and some of the other events planned for Monday around the convention have been cancelled or postponed.

So after spending our day with one eye on our preparations and one eye on the weather reports, we've made the decision to cancel volunteer activities tomorrow, August 28th, for safety and practicality reasons.

But that doesn't mean we aren't still busy. ACLU of Florida Field Coordinator Nikki Fisher and I are spending our evening contacting volunteers, while others are distributing our First Amendment Toolkit at events in Tampa and St. Pete, including at a big rally at Tropicana Field. And our board president, Mike Pheneger, worked with one group today to secure their permit to do a major art installation in downtown Tampa. And tomorrow we will all

Tomorrow, Isaac will have its impact on Tampa, and on Tuesday, the protests and the convention ramp back up to their previously-expected intensity. And so today, as we prepare for the intensity of the coming days, we're both literally and figuratively in the calm before the storm.

(Note: Images or descriptions of protests during the Republican National Convention do not represent an ACLU of Florida endorsement of the individual, organization or message. The ACLU of Florida is in Tampa to promote the First Amendment rights of all groups.)