Hundreds protest as Republican convention comes to an end

The city was on edge, with police officials and security personnel from 37 agencies deployed for the week

Hundreds of protesters from across the US marched through the streets of Cleveland, demonstrating against the policies of the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as the four-day Republican convention came to an end.

"The US is under grave threat as the emergence of Donald Trump on national stage has given dangerous rise to anti-Muslim and racial sentiments in the country, which will take it towards a downward path," said Terrey Kaye, a retired teacher who joined the protests here yesterday.

Last afternoon, hours before Trump was scheduled to deliver his speech to accept the nomination of the Republican presidential candidate, Kaye was out on Public Square — the most popular place in downtown Cleveland — a few blocks away from there with a placard to vent his anger.

"Ban all Trumps not Muslims," read the handwritten placard in black and white. He had covered his face and dressed like a Muslim from West Asia.

"This is my humble way to protest against the anti-Muslim rhetoric of Trump," he told PTI.

Kaye said he is protesting on his own, to vent his feeling against the prevailing sentiment in the country. But he was not alone, several hundred people like him from across the country landed in Cleveland, Ohio to protest against the policies of Trump.

"Chumps: Make America Racist Again," said the placard being displayed by another lone protester Briandon Arapes, who works as a customer service provider in Cleveland. I am asking people not to vote for Trump. He has bankrupt ideas," he said.

But there were scores of people who have come to this city in groups. Toni Rozsahezyi of a non-profit organisation had a group of protesters who were dancing on a set of music and were dressed pink.

"We are here to protest against the war and drones," she said. Next week, the group plans to hold a similar protest in Philadelphia, the city that hosts the Democratic National Convention.

"We will be in bigger size there," she said, adding that Clinton has been a supporter of drones and war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Yesterday, as the four-day convention came to an end, Cleveland experienced one of the largest anti-Trump protest this week. The city was on its edge, with police officials and security personnel from as many as 37 agencies deployed for the week, several days.