They told this news outlet they don’t want to to do anything that harms their community, including the downtown businesses that already will have to deal with days of security restrictions and measures.
Michael Harbaugh, who is organizing a protest and peace rally near downtown during the Assembly, says he will probably encourage demonstrators to visit and patronize downtown shops to make sure they see good foot traffic.
“I might tie in a visit or a march to some of these local businesses or promote spending some money to help them,” he said.
A place for protest
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly will be held in downtown Dayton between May 22 and May 26.
The Assembly will bring in hundreds of delegates from around the globe, plus their staff, family members, news media and other visitors. The total visitor count could be a couple thousand people.
Dayton police Major Christopher Malson said the police department is going to create a protest zone in a city-owned parking lot at the southeast corner of East Second and North Jefferson streets.
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
The parking lot is near the section of downtown that is going to be shut down to create a restricted security area called NATO Village. Only people with credentials will be able to enter NATO Village.
Malson said members of the public will be able to move in and out of the protest zone freely. He said there will not be police officers inside the protest zone, unless issues arise.
Law enforcement will only take action and intervene if demonstrations turn unlawful, such as if people start rioting or if they take over roadways, Malson said.
“That is a location that will allow them to be seen and heard,” he said. “So it’s not like we’re putting them off in a corner five miles away. ... The delegates will be able to see you and hear you from that location.”
Malson said the police department will allow people to exercise their right to free speech while ensuring that the situation remains safe for everyone involved. He also said police department will be ready to respond if protests occur in other parts of downtown.
“When it comes to protestors, I can’t tell people where to go,” he said. “We have Constitutional legal rights we have to abide by that says protestors have to be able to be seen and heard. ... I can’t just push protestors off.”
Demonstrations
Harbaugh, a Kettering resident who ran as an independent candidate for Congress in 2024, said he is organizing a protest and peace rally and march during the NATO Assembly sessions.
“It’ll be a dual rally and then a peaceful march,” said Harbaugh, who last year unsuccessfully ran against Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton. Turner is a strong NATO supporter and helped bring the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to the city.
Harbaugh, who plans to run for office again next year, requested and was approved for a First Amendment Activity Permit from Five Rivers MetroParks.
MetroParks said the permit is for group demonstration and literature distribution with amplified sound permitted for a maximum of 50 people at Deeds Point MetroPark. The park is located just north of downtown, across the river.
MetroParks says it approved group demonstration and literature distribution activities at Deeds Point for every day from May 23 to May 26, which Harbaugh requested. Harbaugh believes the rally likely will be held on Saturday, May 24.
Harbaugh said people who attend the protest rally and educational lectures he’s also organizing will hear a different perspective on NATO.
“We’ll talk about how NATO actually isn’t a peaceful organization,” he said. “I think they could have been disbanded after their failures on Iraq and Afghanistan — Iraq and Afghanistan were two NATO wars.”
Harbaugh said the protest rally and march will be peaceful, and he hopes attendees will swing by downtown stores and establishments to support them during the Assembly.
Some downtown business owners have voiced concerns that traffic, parking and NATO Village security restrictions and measures could hurt their foot traffic and sales.
Alec Johnson also plans to protest during the NATO Assembly sessions.
Johnson is a 72-year-old Dayton resident who describes himself as a revolutionary activist and a full member of the southwest Ohio branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL).
Johnson said PSL wants to use this event as an opportunity to educate the public about its political movement and also NATO itself, which he says should be abolished.
“If the public knew the facts, they would not be opening their arms to NATO,” Johnson said. “NATO is a sock puppet for U.S. imperialism.”
PSL says it mission is to end capitalism and imperialism and replace it with a socialist political and economic system.
Johnson said he’ll probably spend some time in the protest zone, but he also expects to go to other places in the city where people are gathering to share ideas and make their voices heard.
“We try to exploit every opportunity, because our message is important,” he said. “We are really about human liberation.”
Johnson said he has no idea how many people will turn out to protest. But he says he really hopes and believes it will be peaceful.
“We strive for the safety of all participants,” he said. “We live here.”
Dayton United for Human Rights said it’s concerned about how law enforcement will try to handle demonstrations outside of the protest zone. The nonprofit said police must ensure that officers do not infringe on protestors’ rights to free speech, regardless of where they choose to gather.
Security measures
There will be tight security and a large police presence in downtown.
The state of Ohio has approved providing about $2.8 million to Dayton to reimburse the city for personnel and security equipment costs.
The city expects to spend about $883,000 on anti-scale fencing, concrete barriers, light towers, drones, a security badge system and other equipment, state documents say. The rest of the funding is expected to cover the cost of deploying police, fire and public works employees.
Major Malson said police will be working around the clock for seven consecutive days.
“In my time on the department over 25 years, we’ve not done an operation of this size and of this length,” Malson said.
The state also has approved about $1.3 million in funding for the Ohio State Highway Patrol to provide security.
The Dayton Police Department asked the state patrol for officers trained in crowd control, mounted police and officers on bicycle response teams.
Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein said significant security measures are vital for an event of this magnitude.
“Hosting an event of this scale brings global attention to Dayton and contributes to our city’s long-term economic and tourism growth,” she said.
She said she believes this event will be good for downtown businesses.
The city manager and event organizers say every downtown business will be able to remain open, though stores in the security zone will have restrictions like special entrances that use fencing and tunnels.
Business owners hope the Assembly won’t cost them money, but some are worried that people will stay away.
Catherine Petersen, Dayton NATO PA media coordinator, said the NATO Parliamentary Assembly provides a critical platform for dialogue on international security, democratic values and global cooperation.
“This session in Dayton is especially significant, given the city’s historic role in diplomacy and honoring the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords,” she said. “While we recognize that opinions on NATO vary, this event offers an opportunity for meaningful discussions on global security challenges and the importance of international partnerships.”
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