Rising tensions among protesters at the Public Square in downtown Cleveland brought a large police response, with mounted horses, officers on bikes, state troopers and police officers on foot, July 19, 2016. There were reports of shoving. Black Lives Matter activists then started walking east out of the square, with police officers on bicycles forming a line to keep them on the sidewalk and within one lane of traffic. The Republican National Convention is being held in the city, with Donald Trump likely being chosen the party nominee on Thursday.
Tensions Rise Among Protesters at Republican Convention
![Black Lives Matter protesters gathered in Public Square in Cleveland, July 19, 2016. Hundreds of protesters from various groups converged. Police moved in when tensions rose among the group.](https://gdb.voanews.com/d3edd616-bfd8-44bc-929b-0ac547fa599c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Black Lives Matter protesters gathered in Public Square in Cleveland, July 19, 2016. Hundreds of protesters from various groups converged. Police moved in when tensions rose among the group.
![Police attempt to separate hundreds of protesters who had gathered in Public Square in downtown Cleveland, July 19, 2016.](https://gdb.voanews.com/707a3a23-27ed-4070-986d-1085b74d9f83_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Police attempt to separate hundreds of protesters who had gathered in Public Square in downtown Cleveland, July 19, 2016.
![A protester in downtown Cleveland, July 19, 2015. The Republican National Convention is being held at the Quicken Loans Arena, culminating with a speech by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Thursday.](https://gdb.voanews.com/f9c57fed-44c7-406a-a019-069963b6feef_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A protester in downtown Cleveland, July 19, 2015. The Republican National Convention is being held at the Quicken Loans Arena, culminating with a speech by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Thursday.
![Ten Ohio Minutemen fanned out to the outer edged of a protest in Public Square when tensions rose between various protest groups, in Cleveland, July 19, 2016. One Minuteman said they were just there to make sure everyone stayed safe.](https://gdb.voanews.com/33c9a125-1dbe-446d-9818-4e0f97dc83f2_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Ten Ohio Minutemen fanned out to the outer edged of a protest in Public Square when tensions rose between various protest groups, in Cleveland, July 19, 2016. One Minuteman said they were just there to make sure everyone stayed safe.