We are so thrilled to report the petition to keep the national GOP Convention out of Nashville is now averaging over 1000 signatures per hour.  Thank you so much for your work to share, and in some cases donate to raise the visibility of this important message.  Unfortunately today the Tennessean published another article calling Nashville a "serious contender" to host the GOP Convention.  A group of their representatives will tour our local sites, presumably with help from the local Convention and Visitors Corporation, tomorrow.

This afternoon the Tennessee Republican Party unanimously passed a resolution in the state House to call for the GOP and Trump to relocate the Convention to Tennessee.  Don't be fooled - even though the resolution talks about other parts of the state, there isn't any other Tennessee city with anywhere near the capacity to manage a 25,000 person event. 

According to today's article the Republicans plan to use the city-owned Bridgestone Arena and Music City Center to host.  Luckily this gives us plenty of leverage as Nashville taxpayers to say NO to use of these facilities to renominate a man whose approach to governance goes 100% contrary to everything this country ought to stand for.  Also, Nashville taxpayer funds would be used for security and other infrastructural needs.

Again, Trump is moving the GOP Convention from Charlotte because he wants an unmasked, unsocially-distanced Convention.  Allowing that here puts our first responders and our community at large at huge risk, especially since TN has been among the top few states for COVID rate of spread for weeks.  This is in addition to the considerable risk of violence to our city employees, residents, public and private property.  Trump has already tear gassed peaceful protestors and threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, which our Republican governor could approve to roll U.S. Army tanks down Nashville city streets to quiet opposition.  

Please continue to spread the word on the threat of widespread violence and contagion coming to our beautiful city via this event.  In addition, we'd urge you to contact Mayor Cooper, the head of the city's Convention and Visitors Corporation, and your local Metro Councilmember.  Their contact info is at the end of this message. (Thanks to CM Colby Sledge of District 17, who's already spoken out against the Convention and has distributed the language of a planned Metro Council resolution against it.)

We don't have any reason to believe our city electeds would welcome the GOP Convention, and the Mayor's office has specifically said they have no plans to meet with the Republicans coming to look at sites tomorrow.  However, Gov. Lee and the Republican supermajority have tools to force their will on our city.  It is IMPERATIVE that our local elected representatives hear a STRONG, ORGANIZED message of resistance NOW if we hope to prevent an event which could have catastrophic effects on our community.

Please consider using the hashtag #NoNashvilleGOPConvention and, if on Twitter, tag us at @NashvilleResist for a retweet. 

Contact info to follow:

Mayor John Cooper: @JohnCooper4Nash on Twitter or (615) 862-5000. Press 0, then ask to leave a message, but they'll probably tell you to email mayor@nashville.gov.

Convention and Visitors Corporation: @VisitMusicCity, 1-800-657-6910 or nashcvc@visitmusiccity.com

Find your Metro Councilmember here: https://nashville.gov/Metro-Council/Contact-Council-Members.aspx