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Tennis Balls And Protests: A Postcard From Cleveland

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Protesters representing Code Pink and the Brady Campaign demonstrated on Prospect Avenue in Cleveland Tuesday night. The demonstrators were speaking out against the security rules for the Republican National Convention, which prohibit tennis balls and other items that authorities says could be used as weapons. Under Open Carry, Ohioans are allowed to carry weapons in public. (Alex Ashlock/Here & Now)
Protesters representing Code Pink and the Brady Campaign demonstrated on Prospect Avenue in Cleveland Tuesday night. The demonstrators were speaking out against the security rules for the Republican National Convention, which prohibit tennis balls and other items that authorities says could be used as weapons. Under Open Carry, Ohioans are allowed to carry weapons in public. (Alex Ashlock/Here & Now)

There was a great deal of concern about protests at the Republican National Convention, especially because people are allowed to openly carry weapons. Last night, demonstrators took aim at that and the fact that while guns are allowed in the protest zone around the convention site, tennis balls are not.

Authorities say the balls could be used as weapons. The protesters tossed the tennis balls onto the street, forcing the police to swoop in to fetch them.

Here & Now's Alex Ashlock found himself in the middle of the protest and sent back this postcard.
Hear more of Here & Now's coverage from the Republican National Convention.
Follow the Here & Now election road trip on Tumblr.

Photos And Tweets From Alex Ashlock

On Tuesday evening near Quicken Loans Arena, police confiscated tennis balls that were tossed onto the street by protesters chanting "ban assault weapons, not tennis balls." The demonstrators were speaking out against the security rules for the Republican National Convention, which prohibit tennis balls and other items that authorities says could be used as weapons. Under Open Carry, Ohioans are allowed to carry weapons in public. (Alex Ashlock/Here & Now)
On Tuesday night near Quicken Loans Arena, police confiscated tennis balls that were tossed onto the street by protesters chanting "ban assault weapons, not tennis balls." The demonstrators were speaking out against the security rules for the Republican National Convention, which prohibit tennis balls and other items that authorities says could be used as weapons. Under Open Carry, Ohioans are allowed to carry weapons in public. (Alex Ashlock/Here & Now)
On Tuesday evening near Quicken Loans Arena, police confiscated tennis balls that were tossed onto the street by protesters chanting "ban assault weapons, not tennis balls." The demonstrators were speaking out against the security rules for the Republican National Convention, which prohibit tennis balls and other items that authorities says could be used as weapons. Under Open Carry, Ohioans are allowed to carry weapons in public. (Alex Ashlock/Here & Now)
On Tuesday night near Quicken Loans Arena, police confiscated tennis balls that were tossed onto the street by protesters chanting "ban assault weapons, not tennis balls." The demonstrators were speaking out against the security rules for the Republican National Convention, which prohibit tennis balls and other items that authorities says could be used as weapons. Under Open Carry, Ohioans are allowed to carry weapons in public. (Alex Ashlock/Here & Now)
Ohioans Micah Naziri (middle left) and James Campbell (middle right) stand with officers from the Wisconsin State Patrol. Naziri and Campbell are carrying AR-15s. (Alex Ashlock/Here & Now)
Ohioans Micah Naziri (middle left) and James Campbell (middle right) stand with officers from the Wisconsin State Patrol. Naziri and Campbell are carrying AR-15s. (Alex Ashlock/Here & Now)

Reporter

Alex Ashlock, reporter and producer, Here & Now. He tweets @aashlock.

This segment aired on July 20, 2016.

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