For security reasons, the City of Cleveland has banned a large list of items from public spaces outside this week’s Republican convention site, including metal-tipped umbrellas, water guns, string longer than six feet, canned goods and tennis balls.
However, Ohio’s “open carry” law means most guns will still be allowed in the streets and sidewalks outside of the private event spaces.
A request from Cleveland’s police union president to temporarily suspend the open carry law was denied Sunday by Republican Gov. John Kasich, who said he does not have the authority.
Still, supporters of Donald Trump and those there to protest his nomination both told CTV News Channel that they feel safe enough to gather downtown.
Republican Steve Thacker was there Sunday afternoon sporting a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun with dozens of rounds of ammunition, to “raise awareness,” he said, for his constitutional right to carry them.
Thacker said he has “absolutely no” safety concerns, but at the same time he urged fellow Republicans to “use common sense” and leave their guns at home once the convention is officially underway.
“It would take away from what we’re trying to accomplish here,” he added, “finding our next presidential candidate.”
Mick Kelly, a member of the Coalition to Stop Trump, was in Cleveland Sunday drumming up support for a protest march that will begin at noon on Monday.
Kelly said the demonstration – one of several large protests planned – will aim to show that “most Americans,” including blue collar workers like him, “consider Donald Trump to be a bigot.”
“We’re not concerned about violence at all,” he added. “We’ve had many conversations with the city about our protest, and on July 18 we intend to march from here to the Quicken Loans Centre to take a message against the bigot Trump.”
Here’s the full list of items banned in "public access areas”" near the convention zone.
- Lumber larger than 2” in width and ¼” thick, including supports for signs
- Metal, plastic, or other hard material larger than ¾” thick and 1/8” in wall thickness including pipe and tubing
- Any air rifle, air pistol, paintball gun, blasting caps, switchblade or automatic knife, knife having a blade two and one-half (2-1/2) inches in length or longer, cestus, billy, blackjack, sword, saber, hatchet, axe, slingshot, BB gun, pellet gun, wrist shot, blackjack, metal knuckles, nun chucks, mace, iron buckle, axe handle, shovel, or other instrumentality used to cause property or personal damage
- Any dangerous ordinance, weapon, or firearm that is prohibited by the laws of the State of Ohio
- Any explosives, explosive device, or incendiary device
- Fireworks and rockets
- Sound amplification equipment
- Drones and other unmanned aircraft systems
- Containers of bodily fluids
- Aerosol cans
- Mace, pepper spray or other chemical irritant
- Umbrellas with metal tips
- Any projectile launchers, such as water guns and water cannons
- Rope, chain, cable, strapping, wire, string, line, tape, or any similar material, in lengths greater than 6’
- Glass bottles, ornaments, light bulbs, ceramic vessels, and any other frangible container, regardless of whether the container holds any substance
- Locks including, without limitation, padlocks, bicycle locking devices, chain locks or similar devices, but not including: an integral component of a
- conveyance or structure; locks when utilized by the owner of private real property to secure permanent or temporary fencing; or locks attached to a bicycle
- Any gas mask or similar device designed to filter all air breathed by the wearer in an attempt to protect the respiratory tract and/or face against irritating or noxious gasses or other materials. This prohibition on gas masks shall not apply to any person wearing a medical oxygen mask that fits over the nose and mouth of the person and provides oxygen from an oxygen tank to the person
- Tents and other shelters, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, mattresses, cots, hammocks, bivy sacks, or stoves
- Coolers or ice chests
- Backpacks and bags exceeding the size of 18” x 13” x 7”
- Lasers
- Non-plastic containers, bottles, cans, or thermoses
- Ladders
- Grappling hooks, sledgehammers, hammers, and crowbars
- Canned goods
- Tennis balls
- Any other item determined by the Chief or Director to be a clear and present danger to the safety of others
