A ring of steel will descend next week around the Republican National Convention, transforming Cleveland into a fortress as it prepares to welcome Donald Trump with political pomp and angry protests.
Authorities overseeing and protecting national party conventions in the United States are always on high alert for disruption, or worse -- they are dubbed National Special Security Events by the Department of Homeland Security, and federal agencies pour in resources to ensure a safe event.
But extraordinary circumstances surround the July 18-21 Republican confab, where Trump is set to become the party's standardbearer to face Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November election.
It comes less than two weeks after a gunman bent on killing white policemen murdered five Dallas officers, and a month after 49 died in a nightclub massacre carried out by a man authorities said was radicalized by Islamist propaganda.
As Cleveland prepared for the spotlight, a suspected terrorist attack yesterday killed at least 77 people in Nice, France when a man drove a truck into a crowd at Bastille Day celebrations.
Trump dominated a divisive and unruly primary season, infuriating minority groups, antagonizing many people within his own party, and drawing violence to his campaign rallies.
His hostile takeover of the Republican Party may provoke a rough reception from some disgruntled delegates inside the convention hall. Trump critics outside could well prove chillier than the midwestern city's "lake effect" snow.
Complicating matters, Ohio's open-carry laws mean the public will be legally allowed to bring their guns to convention events downtown, although not inside the hard security perimeter around the convention itself.
"We'll take care of what we need to take care of," Cleveland patrol officer Paul Fronckowiak told AFP.
Several thousand officers from Ohio and beyond will be engaged in protecting the convention.
FBI Director James Comey said his department had hundreds of personnel focused specifically on anti-terrorism intelligence gathering in Cleveland.
"Any time there is a national spotlight on a political event there is a risk that groups that aspire to do just that, to engage in acts of domestic terrorism, will be attracted," Comey testified yesterday before the House Homeland Security Committee.
DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson acknowledged demonstrations could get out of hand.
"I am concerned about the possibility of violence," he told lawmakers, adding that DHS is sending more than 1,000 agents to Cleveland, including Secret Service officers.
Security experts have advised news organizations to bring protective gear like helmets, bullet-proof vests and gas masks.
