RNC’s first day brings protests, humor and solidarity

Rich Egnot

The first day of the Republican National Convention brought attendees from many corners of the social, cultural and political spectrums. 

Some Cleveland police lined up to form a human barricade blocking off streets for the convention. Twitter user Rex Santus described the officers in the photo as being “dressed for war.” Many citizens believe the police force is setting an unnecessarily dark tone for the events to follow at the convention.

Although the large show of force may foster fear in convention attendees, a crowd in the city demonstrates appreciation for the police force by applauding them through the streets, showing peace and protection can coexist amidst the recent police-involved tragedies around the country.

One officer demonstrated the importance of the relationship between police and citizens by joining in on a prayer for safety and peace during the convention. Some citizens have come out to say they aren’t afraid of what the convention has in store because, with love under their belts, they can get through the week safely.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan waved a “Terrible Towel,” a symbol of the Pittsburgh Steelers, before addressing the Pennsylvania GOP delegation breakfast in Cleveland. The towel was thrown to Ryan by an audience member, prompting him to remark, “I want to win this election so darn bad that I’m willing to do this.”

Entertainment-news outlet Buzzfeed continues to make headlines related to the convention.

In June, the website announced the termination of a $1.3 million advertising agreement with the RNC. A source close to Buzzfeed’s higher-ups said the website pulled out of the agreement, rather than “having our site promoting things that limit our freedom.” Employees supported the decision, as many disagreed with the policies of Donald Trump regarding immigrants.

Yesterday, Buzzfeed announced BuzzBot, an artificial-intelligence chat bot designed to aggregate information about the RNC, with limited ability to communicate with users, gauge reactions, and receive and categorize user-submitted photo and video. The bot’s purpose is to allow users to add their own perspectives in the absence of human reporters, as well as to keep reporters safe in areas where violence may break out.

Guccifer 2.0, the hacker behind the recent Democratic National Committee breach, shared a new batch of documents. The hacker released opposition research compiled by the DNC on Donald Trump, as well as the personal information of 20,000 donors. The release also included discussion within the party related to gun control, the Iran nuclear framework and other issues.