Why Anti-Trump Protesters Were a Rare Sight in Milwaukee

The crowds inside the hall in downtown Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention this week reflected the mood of the party: unified, abundant, exhilarated.

If the state of the opposition could be summed up by the demonstrations outside the arena, it was quite the opposite: disjointed, sparse, gloomy.

Protests through the week in Milwaukee have appeared far smaller and less energetic than those at past national conventions. At the last in-person Republican convention, in 2016, a coalition of protesters rallied in Cleveland for days, angry over the nomination of former President Donald J. Trump. That week was marked by scuffles, standoffs with police and the burning of an American flag outside the convention hall.

In Milwaukee this week, protesters were rarely seen in significant numbers outside the convention arena or at the two designated demonstration zones in parks nearby that were set up to give the public an open platform. The largest showing of dissent was a rally on Monday organized by left-leaning groups that drew about 800 people — far short of the 5,000 that the protest leaders had hoped for.

Some protesters in Milwaukee said they were dismayed by the small numbers. Where is the anger from Democrats, they asked, noting that this was the first political convention since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and that Mr. Trump and Republican policies are widely loathed by left-leaning activists. In 2017, the day after Mr. Trump was inaugurated, hundreds of thousands of women marched in opposition to his presidency in Washington and cities around the country.