The giant balloon shows a shirtless, orange-skinned President Trump in a baby’s diaper, with a cellphone in hand. Trump was invited to the parliamentary assembly sessions in the city but isn’t expected to attend.
Some local activists who helped organize or who planned to take part in the protests this weekend have been very critical of Trump and his administration.
Mel Rodriguez, an activist for District 10 Indivisible for All at the baby Trump balloon site, said she got involved when the “Baby Trump tour folks” reached out to them via email and phone about getting this set up with people on the ground who knew the area.
“The biggest thing here is a peaceful assembly,” Rodriguez said. “We want people to just come down and check out baby Trump, come down, sit and help us babysit him for a while and it’s mostly just to bring attention to the administration and what’s happening — and the cuts that are happening and people’s lives are being affected.”
She said she hopes people come down and bring signs to show what issues they are concerned about. Rodriguez added she’s a veteran and the cuts to Veteran Affairs services have been concerning to her.
“I’m an advocate for veterans’ rights, veterans’ benefits, the PACT Act was huge and the fact we’re going to have reduced staffing, then also potential cuts in the future — like that is my main concern as a veteran.”
Baby Trump balloons have appeared at all sorts of political rallies, protests and high-profile events around the world since the balloon first debuted in the U.K. during a Trump visit during his first term in office.
Downtown Dayton has been turned into a NATO Village security zone. Much of downtown is closed off to vehicular and pedestrian traffic with fencing, barriers and a very large police presence.
The city of Dayton created a “free speech” zone in a parking lot at East Second Street and North Jefferson Street that protestors have been directed to use. The protest zone was mostly or entirely empty on Thursday and Friday. Only four people visited the lot on Friday morning.
But much larger crowds are expected today, with multiple events planned.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT NATO
• Public forum panels you can attend during the Parliamentary Assembly
• How you can follow what’s going on downtown
• Downtown transformed in 24 hours for assembly safety
• Biltmore Towers seniors and disabled residents worry about NATO security issues
• What you need to know about the Dayton NATO Spring Parliamentary Assembly
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