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Carole Rendon Contrasts Charlottesville Violence With Cleveland's Handling of RNC

Carole Rendon on WVIZ's Ideas in March.
Carole Rendon on WVIZ's Ideas in March.

The former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio is weighing in on the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, this past weekend. Police there were unable to keep clashes between white supremacists and counter-protesters from getting violent.

Carole Rendon contrasts that with Cleveland's handing of the Republican National Convention last summer.

She says protests at the 2016 RNC did not become violent in part because law enforcement officials spent months preparing. Rendon says Cleveland police struck a difficult balance: protecting both public safety and free speech.

"And the police did so in a way that was not threatening," Rendon said. "They didn't stand between one set of protesters and the other in riot gear and increase the temperature. They really allowed people to be heard while making sure they created a barrier that prevented this kind of violence."

Rendon spoke on the WVIZ PBS show “ideas.” 

During the RNC last July, Cleveland reported 24 arrests related to the convention. Local police got help from 2,800 officers who traveled to Cleveland to provide extra security.