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CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) –
Hundreds of protesters and police have taken over Public Square in downtown Tuesday afternoon. Even Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams is on hand. Two people were arrested and taken away by police.
It’s the largest gathering of protest groups and the largest gathering of police since the beginning of the Republican National Convention.
Activists from Black Lives Matter, Westboro Baptist Church and the KKK are in the square and are said to be throwing urine at each other.
Police are trying to draw a line and keep the groups separated.
Several groups showed up at Public Square throughout the afternoon.
The smaller groups included a Tamir Rice group, a man carrying an AR-15, a man with a sign saying “Jesus Vapes,” a woman doing yoga with a pro-police and anti-bullying sign and another person asking folks to tell their best Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump joke. The West Ohio Minutemen are there, too, they call themselves a constitutional militia group.
Several police bike patrols were also on hand. Officers seemed to surround the Soldiers and Sailor’s Monument.
Some people were saying there were more police than protesters.
It seems parade permit groups aren’t using the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge to East 14th Street to march this week. The bridge has been empty since Sunday, except for a lone snow plow on the west side blocking vehicle access.
The Stand Together Against Trump group was expected to parade Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. A total of 0 protesters showed up. There were 15 media members, 17 preachers and several police instead. The group had a parade permit for up to 5,000 people. They later sent an email saying the group would be handing out water at Public Square during that time.
READ MORE: Cleveland19.com
Article and Second Picture Courtesy of WOIO Cleveland 19 News
First Picture Courtesy of Getty Images
